The Use of Language in Lolita
Patison 1
The Use Of Language In Lolita
Any author has the ability to manipulate the language that he or she uses to stimulate emotion in the reader. Vladimir Nabokov takes full advantage of this concept in his novel Lolita. Humbert Humbert, the narrator, changes the style in which he conveys his story depending on who and what he is talking about. The way in which Humbert’s tone changes to convey his appreciation for nymphettes and distract from the fact that his actions are that of a pedophile, suggests that no matter how disturbing something may be, they can be temporarily hidden by art and its beauty. When first introducing Lolita, Humbert uses poetic language to make the reader feel his intense emotions. The first sentence, on the very first page reads, “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta” (Nabokov 1). Humbert’s appreciation of the way his tongue moves when saying Lolita’s name conveys how deeply in love, and enthralled he is with her, despite the difference in their ages. While Humbert’s control of language is beautiful and moving, the reader must keep in mind that he is writing this memoir for the jury of his trial. Humbert states , “You can always count on a murderer for
Patison 2 a fancy prose style” (Nabokov 1), showing that he is aware in the change of his tone. Humbert also mentions that he is presenting his audience with a “fancy” piece of art that will appeal to his readers. Humbert’s goal is to distract from the un-natural and immoral reality of his relationship with a young girl, using intricate and artfully designed prose. This correlates directly with the fact that whenever any instance of pedophilia or anything that may seem immoral to his audience occurred within the novel, Humbert’s tone changed from stating facts and retelling events to one of rich intellect using elaborate diction to
The Use Of Language In Lolita
Any author has the ability to manipulate the language that he or she uses to stimulate emotion in the reader. Vladimir Nabokov takes full advantage of this concept in his novel Lolita. Humbert Humbert, the narrator, changes the style in which he conveys his story depending on who and what he is talking about. The way in which Humbert’s tone changes to convey his appreciation for nymphettes and distract from the fact that his actions are that of a pedophile, suggests that no matter how disturbing something may be, they can be temporarily hidden by art and its beauty. When first introducing Lolita, Humbert uses poetic language to make the reader feel his intense emotions. The first sentence, on the very first page reads, “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta” (Nabokov 1). Humbert’s appreciation of the way his tongue moves when saying Lolita’s name conveys how deeply in love, and enthralled he is with her, despite the difference in their ages. While Humbert’s control of language is beautiful and moving, the reader must keep in mind that he is writing this memoir for the jury of his trial. Humbert states , “You can always count on a murderer for
Patison 2 a fancy prose style” (Nabokov 1), showing that he is aware in the change of his tone. Humbert also mentions that he is presenting his audience with a “fancy” piece of art that will appeal to his readers. Humbert’s goal is to distract from the un-natural and immoral reality of his relationship with a young girl, using intricate and artfully designed prose. This correlates directly with the fact that whenever any instance of pedophilia or anything that may seem immoral to his audience occurred within the novel, Humbert’s tone changed from stating facts and retelling events to one of rich intellect using elaborate diction to
Cited: Moore, Anthony R. "How unreliable is Humbert in Lolita?" Journal of Modern Literature 25.1 (2001): 71+. Academic OneFile. Web. 13 May. 2014. . I used this source more than any source it gave a lot of information about the reliability of Humbert as well as information about the different linguistic tricks that Nabokov used for Humbert’s two voices. Styron, William. "The Book On Lolita." The New Yorker. 4 Sept 1995: 33. This source was helpful in my research regarding the way in which the book was perceived by readers when it began to get published. It helped me to reiterate the strength of language within my paper. Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita. New York: Vintage, 1998.