I have been thinking of writing about the themes of Eden and Romantic literary tones/themes/figures such as nature, doubles/doppelgängers, and magic/fantasy in Lolita. Nabokov is constantly discussing nature and gardens in the novel, and even in the descriptions of the Enchanted Hunters are nature references that circle back to these themes. The theme of Eden brings up topics of good, evil, temptation, and the devil, which I find apply to many of the themes of Romantic Literature- I will expand on this in a moment. Book 1 and Book 2 of Lolita seem to be pre-apple and post- apple in their tone and in Humbert's view of himself and Lolita. The nymphette is both the temptation for Humbert and later on the evil that destroys him. The writing changes from light, flowery, confessions of enchantment to resentment, disgust, and trouble. (Link to Eden story from bible: http://www.bartleby.com/108/01/3.html )
Romantic literature often discusses the ideas of the double, or the doppelgänger, which symbolize death and bad luck. Humbert often describes Quilty as his double, and in the end needs to destroy him. Aside from Humbert and Quilty, Lolita is the double of Annabel, and almost everyone is a double. The doubles can never exist in the same space, they must be destroyed, and seeing as how Humbert and Quilty are the same, it leads to Humbert's self destruction. I drew a parallel between the 2 part story of Confessions of a Justified Sinner, and Lolita, (Link to Confessions: http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/p/Prada-Leopard-Print-Mini-Crossbody-Bag/prod93710035/ ) which can be referenced in full in the link. Both have untrustworthy narrators, as well as a 2 part structure that are completely different in tone. In Confessions, Robert and Gil-Martin are one and the same, aka Humbert and Quilty, Both Robert and Humbert are searching for their missing halves, to Robert this is acceptance from his brother George and his father the Laird, to Humbert this is his nymphette's love. But Robert cannot get this half back, and in order to deal with the sins he has done he creates the character of Gil-Martin, aka the devil, and projects all his sins onto him, long story short when he kills Gil-Martin, he is really killing himself and this is the same in Humbert and Quilty. Humbert projects his failings and his desires onto Quilty, and when he goes to murder Quilty he is really murdering his failures, his wishes, his sins, himself. More to come on this comparison as I explore the subject further.
I found Winston's Lolita and the Dangers of Fiction article to match with some of the ideas I am trying to work with. Winston describes Humbert as this kind of Jekyll and Hyde character, the writer and the criminal, a double personality, which is exactly what I am trying to communicate through my topic. Throughout the novel Humbert is trying to control his various sides/characters and has trouble keeping them all in check while maintaining a smooth exterior. Winston also discusses Humbert's need to draw literary parallels to whatever situation he is in at the moment, which also ties into my exploration of fantasy and doubles. Winston discusses Humbert's need to immortalize his nymphettes and himself in his writing, and in doing so he creates many versions, Anabel, Lolita, Charlotte, his own self: John Ray, Humbert, the many variations of Humbert - the hummer, the european, the american, the father, the lover, etc- and finally as Quilty. By forcing himself or obsessing over being the same as other literary figures, Humbert denies reality, and therefore feels less guilt, or no guilt, about his actions, about destroying Lolita's life.
Still organizing my thoughts on the theme but this is the gist so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment