After
finishing the book Lolita by Vladimir
Nabokov, I feel that an important question is left unanswered. That question
is: Did Lolita ever love Humbert Humbert? We know from Lolita and Humbert’s
final encounter that Humbert really loves Lolita; the encounter brings him to
tears. Although it is revealed Lolita was in love with Clare Quilty from the
beginning of their trip, the question remains: Why didn’t Lolita leave with
Clare in the beginning? Why did Lolita travel with Humbert Humbert and have frequent sex
with him if she did not feel some sort of affection or have some romantic
feelings for Humbert? The fact that Lolita stays with Humbert for so long and
tolerates him for such a long time makes me believe that at one point she did
love Humbert or have an intense affection towards him. Humbert notes that after their first encounter they had sex three times in one morning. If she did not feel anything for Humbert, would she consent to such frequent sexual activity? Lolita's initiation of their
first sexual encounter with each other also suggests that she had feelings for Humbert. However, I don’t know if this is sufficient evidence to prove she ever loved him. Based on their final encounter in Lolita and Dick’s home,
it is clear that if there ever was any affection or romance for Humbert on
Lolita’s part, it is all gone. She doesn’t even consider going back to Humbert
despite his pleas, and seems only interested in his money. She would rather go
back to Quilty, who abandoned her, rather than Humbert.Their final encounter does not make it clear if she had feelings for Humbert, it just shows her current disdain for him. Since this story is told
from Humbert’s view (and presumably read after Lolita’s death as Humbert
requests in the final pages), it is almost impossible to determine the extent
of Lolita’s feelings for Humbert Humbert, and it remains an important
unanswered question.
Mike, I have been stuck on this debate for quite some time now. I agree with you in the fact that there is not sufficient enough evidence to prove Lolita is in love with Humbert. In fact, I feel that there is sufficient enough evidence to prove she does not love Humbert. Throughout the novel, Lolita never speaks of Humbert with the language Humbert uses about her. Humbert is constantly telling the jury how much love he has for Lolita yet Lolita never mentions love to Humbert. Humbert remembers each and every detail about Lolita, what she always wore, and what their conversations consisted of. Yet, Lolita never made any effort to do the same for Humbert. Lolita, in my opinion, was only in the relationship to satiate her sexual desires. By the end of their relationship, Lolita was only engaging in sexual relationships with Humbert for bribes. Lolita gives Humbert a handjob for sixty-five cents and the permission to be in the school play. Lolita even leaves Humbert for another man in which we find out this “adultery” has been happening for a long time. In my opinion, there is definitely enough evidence to prove Lolita does not love Humbert but she is only in this relationship for the bribes, lust, and gifts.
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