Response #14 Chapter 8 section 2

Response to Chapter 8 section 2

Speak, Memory chapter 8 section 2 is Nabokov’s account of one of his many tutors, Ordo. Nabokov illustrates his tutor through a, “magic-lantern sequence” (155), of slides. The first slide depicts tutor Ordo as, “the enlightened son of a Greek Catholic deacon”(156). Nabokov characterizes each tutor with a specific gimmick, Ordo, for example, “…would give a rather profane and foolish performance for which my brother and I clamored every time we passed there. Bending his head and flapping his coat in weird, vampiric fashion he would slowly cavort around a lugubrious aspen”(156). Ordo’s residency was short lived and ended abruptly with a sentimental letter left in his place. Nabokov infers his tutor fled after an affair with his mother ended.

The following tutor was Ukrainian and performed magic tricks for the boys, such as vanishing trick coin. Nabokov recounts that it was at this time he became aware of how the, “wonders of nature were beginning to impress me at that early age”(157). Due to a heart condition this tutor collapsed in the street and was scooped up by the police and discarded with the local drunkards.

Nabokov introduces his next tutor with a slide of his teacher standing on his head. His defining trait was his athleticism, and only remained in Nabokov’s company for a “stormy month’s stay”(158). According to Nabokov’s illustration he had an extensive collection of weights and dumbbells. His punishment method consisted of putting on boxing gloves and giving Nabokov a nice lick square in the face. Although Nabokov preferred this to Mademoiselles’ penalty of repeatedly writing a French proverb, “Qui aime bien, châtie bien”(158), he was not remorseful when his tutor departed only a month after his arrival.

Max Linder is the next tutor Nabokov encountered and was the first man Nabokov genuinely respected. Max and Nabokov were almost approached by Cossacks during an outing and in response Max half-drew his pistol. Nabokov raves about Max’s gun and fantasizes hunting with him and his father. Nabokov writes, “I visualize my father on a summer day in the country vying with Max in marksmanship-riddling with pistol bullets a rusty NO HUNTING sign in our woods”(158). This life experience is definitely where Nabokov found inspiration for using a gun as Humbert’s murder weapon. It’s parallels between Nabokov’s life experiences and plot details within Lolita such as these that validate that Nabokov drew from his own life experiences to humanize the rapist Humbert is, which allows the audience to have empathy for him, allowing him to be a protagonist the reader can relate to guiltlessly.

The next tutor Nabokov had was Lenski. Nabokov felt a need to protect Lenski because he was a great teacher. Nabokov illustrates Lenski’s person as,

There something irritating about his dry voice, his excessive neatness, the way he had of constantly wiping his glasses with a special cloth or paring his nails with a special gadget, his pedantically correct speech and, perhaps most of all, his fantastic morning custom of marching (seemingly straight out of bed but already shod and trousered, with red braces hanging behind and a strange netlike vest enveloping his plump hairy torso) to the nearest faucet and limiting there his ablutions to a thorough sousing of his pink face, blue skull and fat neck, followed by some lusty Russian nose-blowing, after which he marched, with the same purposeful steps, but now dripping and purblind, back to his bedroom where he kept in a secret place three sacrosanct towels… (160).

The similarities between Humbert’s personality and Lenski’s are undeniable. From their speech to their particular way of doing things is further evidence that Nabokov pulled from his own experiences to make Humbert a protagonist the reader can root for.

Response # 13 Creative Writing Assignment

Take a key scene in Lolita and rewrite it - either altering the style (choose an omniscient, realistic voice) or the point of view (choose that of a female character such as Charlotte, Valeria, or Lolita - or even Mona Dahl - or a character such as Quilty or Maximovich).

Dear Diary,

Dad came for me at camp today. Around 2 I had to lug my huge suitcase into the office to meet him. When I finally reached the office I said "Hi" and gave him a smile. He looked tired and stressed, but he was happy, as usual, to see me. He was a gentleman and carried my bag to the car for me. I snapped my gum loudly in the car, it was the first time I'd had a piece in almost 2 months! We weren't allowed to have any gum at camp, something about too many little kids sticking it underneath everything. Mother is still in the hospital. Dad said the doctor told him it was something abdominal, what does that even mean anyways? Abdominal? Weird. He promised to see all the shows in Lepingville, because it's near the hospital, and we have to stay near there for Mother. Some famous poet lived there a long time ago. But that won't be until tomorrow, tonight we're staying in Briceland. Dad drives a lot faster than mummy does. It was then I told him how revoltingly unfaithful I was to him. I thought he'd stopped caring for me at all anyway. When he asked why I'd said that I told him because he hadn't even kissed me yet! Dad pulled over and I slipped out of my seat and into his lap. He was very stiff. I kissed him hard, but he still stayed very stiff. Then a cop pulled up next to our car and asked if we'd seen a blue car with the same model as ours pass us. I told him no and he hopped back into his car and drove off. I scolded dad then, because he should've gotten caught cause of how darn fast he was driving! He even ran a red light. He really is a crappy driver. I questioned him on what would happen if mother discovered our affair. Oh she would be furious and mad as hell! Dad wouldn't hear of talk like that though and tried to change the subject, probing me on camp activities. I told him about some of the things we did, singing around the campfire, and I almost told him how I was such a good friend to the male animals! But I just couldn't with him staring at me so intensely! I will tell him how I had been unfaithful, but later in the dark where I can hide the redness in my face. We've stopped at a candy bar for ice cream now, so I must enjoy my treat! I'll write again tonight after I tell him my secret!

Yours truly,
~Lo

Response #12 Rain Interpretation w Nabokovian themes and tendencies

The goal here is to interpret the poem as well as you can, but also to find Nabokovian themes and tendencies (and connections to Lolita) in the poems.


Rain (1956)

How mobile is the bed on these

nights of gesticulating trees

when the rain clatters fast,

the tin-toy rain with dapper hoof

trotting upon an endless roof,

traveling into the past.


Upon old roads the steeds of rain

slip and slow down and speed again

through many a tangled year;

but they can never reach the last

dip at the bottom of the past

because the sun is there.


The first two lines describe how the rain and accompanying fierce wind shake his dwelling. The rain patters so hard on the roof, to Nabokov, it sounds like a horse trotting, seemingly never tiring. Storms like these have gone on since the beginning of time and will continue until the end of time. The second The second stanza described the rain slowing and speeding up again continuously coming down. But even though it seems like the rain will never let up, in the last three lines Nabokov tells us it will because, "the sun is there", meaning the sun will inevitably shine again. Honestly, I don't see any connection to Lolita as far as his diction is concerned. However, the poem's story seems to parallel Lolita. Humbert is constantly facing misfortune on the road, which is the rain in the poem, but has faith things will get better once he and Lolita are settled, alluding to the end of the poem when the sun finally returns.

Response #9 Critique on Part Two.

Losing Lo. Part Two: Chapters 18-20.

In these chapters we see Humbert's paranoia grow vastly because of "Trapp" tailing him and Lolita. The harder Humbert tries to control Lolita the faster he loses control of her, ironically. The butterfly theme is also very apparent within these chapters. Mirroring Lolita's transformation from innocent little girl to more of a femme fatale figure with her plotting her get away. It also represents Lolita's metamorphosis from girl to woman, we see her develop into her person and is not merely a 'thing' anymore. The more out of Humbert's grasp Lolita grows into the archetype of femme fatale with her espionage, acting cruel, and continuing to be irresistible in Humbert's eyes.

Finding Lo. Part Two: Chapters 27-29.

Once Humbert loses Lolita we see his paranoia erupt into full blown insanity. Seeing meaning in things that were just coincidences. For example the number 342, 342 Lawn st. is where Humbert met Lolita, 342 is the motel room number where they first had sex, and throughout their road trip across America Humbert and Lolita stayed in 342 motels. After Humbert realizes Lolita is lost and begins his relationship with Rita, he doesn't return to molesting nymphets. We question wether or not Humbert's infatuation with nymphets was a direct result of his relationship with Annabel, and was his way of trying to innocently relive that intense love, or if he was just a pedophile that accepted defeat after Lolita escaped, too emotionally exhausted to chase another nymphet. The Annabel hypothesis is strengthened when Lolita writes to Humbert asking for financial help and he realizes he still and always will love her. Humbert has matured in this section, illustrated by his reaction to Lolita's refusal to leave with him.  

Killing Quilty. Part Two: Chapters 33-end

The final three chapter of Lolita contain a lot of self reflection. Humbert finally has an epiphany about his impact on Lolita and how he robbed her of her childhood which destroyed her life. Before Humbert finally offs Quilty the poem he reads him, detailing his assaults against Lolita, is really a reflection of himself and a tool for Humbert to confront himself in his head about his own trespasses against Lolita. Humbert's skewed view of himself in contrast to Quilty lulls himself into a false view of righteousness. Viewing Quilty as evil and the blame for all the abuse Lolita has endured Humbert kills him in an attempt to kill his own guilt and a way to repent for his sins.  

More Lolita puzzles

More Lolita puzzles:
1. What is the color most frequently associated with Lolita? Red and Pink.

2. If Lolita were a game, what is Humbert's fatal move? Focusing on his endgame with tunnel vision, resulting in him losing Lolita because he can't account for other variables.

3. There are many passages in which Lolita's appearance is compared to that of a boy? How would you interpret this? I think it parallels how young men act out sexual yearnings. Boys assert an aggressive hands on approach to obtaining their sexual instant gratification. Where as Lolita utilizes the same tactic but in more of a seductive manner, and uses the tunnel vision accompanying young men's yearnings to her benefit.

4. Humbert cries out in a strange passage that he fears water above all else. A reference here appears to be to a section from Eliot's The Waste Land - "Death by Water." And the confrontation with Quilty contains a reference to "Gerontion." What do Lolita and "The Waste Land" have in common thematically, if anything? I think the commonality lies in the journey to inevitable disaster. The Waste Land is a journey down a river, water symbolizing constantly surrounded by danger and death as a possibility at every moment. Similarly Humbert's journey is constantly in fear of being caught, which is how he's constantly surrounded by 'water'.

5. A "swoon" is a way of becoming insensible to reality; and a "haze," mentioned throughout the book, is another state of unawareness. What are other ways of escaping from reality that are important in Lolita? Humbert's tunnel vision is how he escapes daily from the reality of being in danger of getting caught at any moments notice. Also playing the roles of father and daughter create a false reality that comforts Humbert into a false sense of security.

6. The essentially melancholy story has rhapsodic elements to the very end; Appel commented on Humbert's mix of pleasure and sorrow. How are his pleasure and sorrow connected? Humbert's mix of pleasure and sorrow are entwined in every way Humbert experiences any sort of gratification. All the things such as sex with nymphets that give Humbert pleasure are sinful. They all come with consequences that land Humbert and those surrounding him in pain and sorrow.

Response # 8 Gaming the fiction 10/10

Gaming the fiction: this can only be answered after the discussion of games on Tuesday 10/8 - i.e. for Thursday: While the novel itself may be seen as a game, various events in the novel are games in themselves: Lolita's "kissing game"; Humbert and Charlotte's marital game ("every game has its rules"); the "game" of avoiding the law and maintaining Lolita's compliance during their year-long drive through America; the proposed game of Russian Roulette with a revolver (later in the story)... In each case, how does the event have the characteristics of a game discussed in class?


Lolita's kissing game:
The kissing game begins on the drive away from Lolita's camp, when she initiates a kiss with Humbert, a result of Lo accusing Humbert of no longer caring for her. Humbert takes advantage of the innocent "game", and Lolita's hunger for "imitation of some simulacrum of fake romance". Humbert comments on the fluidity of "girlish games", unconsciously creating a rule, following Lolita's lead fearing acting too aggressively and sending her into revolt. This rule she immediately enforces when Humbert kisses her neck after returning to the car, shortly after their first shared kiss.

Humbert and Charlotte's marital game:
The give and take control of aspect their relationship is the bases of Humbert and Charlotte's marital game. When the other breaks this unspoken rule the upset spouse acts out until balance is restored.

"Game" of avoiding the law and maintaining Lolita's compliance: Rules of the "game" include punishing Lolita if she breaks the compliancy rule by accusing Humbert of rape she'll be sent to boarding school. Humbert must continue planning exciting adventures to keep Lolita happy enough for her to keep engaging in intercourse. The couple must keep to themselves, constantly moving to not attract negative attention from the law. Another rule is to stay in motels, they provide necessary privacy Humbert requires and a quick get away route.

Russian Roulette:

Response # 7 "This is royal fun." 10/8

"This is royal fun." Nabokov thought the name Humbert had a royal sound, and Humbert often refers to himself with a kingly cognomen. He and Annabelle spent their brief time together in a "kingdom by the sea." And monarchical language is everywhere. Lolita is often called a "princess" in a positive and negative sense. Find seven distinct ways that Nabokov refers to kings, courts, monarchy - and descendancy.

Seven Royal References:

1. Visiting Scotty's Castle pg. 157

2. Lolita's nicknamed "My Frigid Princess" after visiting a milk bar, "The Frigid Queen" pg. 166

3. Their search for a "Kingdom by the Sea"pg. 167

4. Staying in a cheaper motel chain, "Motor Courts" is Humbert's solution to save money pg.175

5. Miss Pratt accuses Humbert of "making a princess of your (Humbert's) Dolly," due to lack of "regular home duties" pg. 194

6. "Duke's Manor" nickname of the castle-like house, residence of two of Dolly's classmates pg. 197

7. "king's side", and "my queen" are referenced in during the chess game with Gaston pg. 202-203