Speak Memory Chapter Seven: Part 3

In this scene Nabokov describes a short romance he had as a child with a girl named Colette. In a way, Colette was Nabokov's Annabelle when relating Speak Memory to Lolita. Just as Humbert recalled falling in love as a child on vacation at the beach, so does Nabokov. Nabokov writes, "I met Colette, I knew at once that this was the real thing. Colette seemed to me so much stranger than all my other chance playmates at Biarritz!" (149). I wonder if Nabokov's childhood romance was inspiration for the character Annabelle in Lolita. The similarities between the two girls seem all too obvious. Nabokov's love for Colette is an example of innocent infatuation. He talks about how he had a gold coin which in his head was enough money to support them if they were to run off together. The simplicity of this love and the fact that there is no fear of heartbreak of getting hurt because it is not real love, makes this part of the book so memorable. It is interesting to look at life as we grow up and how complicated things get. And then to look back at our childhoods and the simplicity and think how we miss it. The whole time I was reading this I could not stop picturing Humbert and his memories of being a child. And also, my own memories as a child playing with other children on the playground. As well as my short romances when I was young and how "in love" you can feel even if that is not real love. This part of the book was one of the warmest memories of Nabokov, recalling young love and it makes him extremely relatable.

Lo and H.H's argument

"You do not understand me. You will never understand me! Why must I have all these rules. As if I don't already do everything you ask. I'll show you. You can't have my entire life. You don't own me you know.  Carl and Al find me attractive. I know that they would love to kiss me on my very mouth. Let me be a child, just once. Let me go to the roller rink and go to the movies with people my age.. You are depriving me of every good natured thing that comes with being a young girl. You are a crook and a lousy father! You murdered my mother and now you are slowly killing me!"

"Hush, hush Lo. This is all nonsense. It is a father's duty to protect their daughters. I am doing this for your best interest. I am doing it out of love."

Just looking at his smug face made me sick. I scampered off and slammed the door, not before I looked him in the eye and squinted as if trying to see through his dark soul. I thought to myself, "I will win this. I'll show him." It is not that I am particularly fancy of these boys. After all, none of them are really in my league. They are all young virgins and I am a step above the rest. But it is not about that. It is not about the actual boys or the experiences I am missing out on. It is the fact that Hum is being so darn selfish and depriving me of my general rights. I am tired of being cooped up with him all day.

Sitting on my bed after recovering from my minor meltdown. I devised a plan..
I would tell Hum that I am not understanding math as well as I would want too. And have arranged to meet with my teacher after class this week. When he suggests that he shall tutor me, I will simply say that he is too much of a distraction and that I want to focus all my energy on mathematics and not get sidetracked by other matters. I will throw in a few compliments here and there and I should be on my way to some unchaperoned time après l'école.Then I can roam the streets with other children my age. And perhaps.. even spend some time with boys. Ha! He will never know.

The Refrigerator Awakes

Nabokov wrote The Refrigerator Awakes shortly after he emigrated to the United States in 1940. Following his construction of the poem, it was published in The New Yorker in 1942. When reading this piece I tried to keep the fact that he was an emigrant in mind. It hones in on the idea of stereotypical America. As a foreigner, the American Dream or American family life that was prevalent in the 40s must of been new to Nabokov. Reading over the poem, I decided that in parts, it is an assessment of American culture through the household item of the refrigerator. Which, is something that is in every home and necessary. The idea that American culture revolves around the kitchen and then looking closely at the center of this: the fridge. I am not entirely sure of the meaning of this poem but I did find multiple similarities with his novel Lolita. The eloquent language is used both in this poem and Lolita. Nabokov's writing style makes any subject matter worth reading whether it be about a normal household item or the molestation of a young girl by her step father. This may be a shot in the dark but I compared the refrigerator to Humbert Humbert in several different ways. In the beginnnig of the poem, Nabokov writes:

Crash!
And if darkness could sound, it would sound like this
          giant
waking up in the torture house, trying to die
and not dying, and trying
not to cry and immediately crying
that he will, that he will, that he will do his best
to adjust his dark soul to the pressing request
of the only true frost

I took this to be a metaphor for H.H. in the way that he too has this utter darkness inside himself. At the end of the poem, the refrigerator is described as being a God and holding all these wonderful foods. And plays a key role in the house. Just as Humbert Humbert thought he was handsome and above those around him. Yet, the reader knows the deeds he is doing are awful and that he is a twisted man. The fridge is the same in this sense. It is cold and frozen on the inside. Yet, thinks highly of itself because it contains so many wonderful items. It comes off to be this mighty, white, god-like object, just as H. H. first appeared to Charlotte Haze. He was in sorts a knight in shining armor. 

lolita post: psychoanalysis

At the end of the novel, Humbert Humbert finally gets the chance to kill Quilty. And although he succeeds in this, he draws it out much longer than he needed to. The reason he does this is because he wants Quilty to know what he has done, he wants him to feel bad and ask for forgiveness. Humbert Humbert says, "It was high time I destroyed him, but he must understand why he was being destroyed" (297). In his killing of Quilty, H.H. is essentially killing off his guilt. Everything that he frames Quilty for doing is exactly what he has done to Lolita. He blames Quilty of taking advantage of Lolita and engaging in sexual activities with a minor but that is just what he has done. This made me think of the psychoanalysis of the character H.H. He is so deeply flawed that it is hard for him to even see himself in this light. This comes out in the end when he murders Quilty and how he goes about it. Nabokov does not agree with or understand the profession of psychiatry. Yet, he has created this character that at times seems so easy to analyze.

The Road to Lolita

I found it interesting why Alfred Appel Jr thought Lolita became such a famous novel and why it has stuck around so long. Despite the immoral story line, the reason the novel was such a success was not so much about what was going on in it but more so how it was described. At the end of this journal, Alfred writes, "the prodigious artistic merit of the final result is due not to what is said but how it is said" (31). The ability for Nabokov to captivate his reader and make them fall in love with a story that is so morally wrong is why he is such a great writer. I've written about that in other posts but it just seems to keep coming back up. Nabokov's way with words is alluring and makes his subject matter positive even if it is not. For example, at times when I was reading Lolita and Humbert Humbert was describing her, I would forget that she was a little girl. His descriptions were so delicate and paints a clear picture in the reader's mind. Even his description of his love for her made me at times forget that this love was between an adult and a child and was therefore wrong. As beautiful as his writing is, it's almost deceitful. It's like a game. He can write about the most horrid situation: sex between an older man and a young child and yet the way he formulates his descriptions makes it beautiful. That is disturbing in a sense but just shows his talent as a writer.

The Annotated Lolita Post 6

My initial research question relates to the psychoanalysis of the character Humbert Humbert. Throughout the novel, Humbert Humbert is constantly defying any explanations for his actions towards Lolita. He is almost mocking the readers desire to give reason to his behavior. We think that his mother's death at a young age may have affected his respect for women. Or that the desertion of women in his own life (his mother, aunt, Valeria) led him to do the things he did. But Nabokov does not want the reader to analyze Humbert Humbert in this way. He wants us to view the character as this deeply troubled person but not as a case study. Humbert Humbert is unique and not like every pedophile. In fact, he even goes as far to say he is not a pedophile. This is because he does not go after every little girl and has respect for the average child. His lust for Lolita is justified because she is a nymphet and also she did not resist him. It is known that Nabokov was opposed to psychiatry, particularly the ways of Freud, and it is with this novel that he criticizes it. To Humbert, his attraction to Lolita is not some sick disorder but rather this uncontrollable, pure love. And love, justified all his behavior because in the end that's all that mattered. He had loved Lolita with all his heart. When thinking back to his times with Lolita, H. H. wrote, "I loved you. I was a pentapod monster, but I loved you. I was despicable and brutal, and turpid, and everything, maid je t'aimais, je t'aimais! And there were times when I knew how you felt, and it was hell to know it, my little one. My Lolita girl, brave Dolly Schiller" (285). At this part of the novel, it is hard not to feel bad for Humbert Humbert. He has lost the love of his life even though we know that love was morally wrong.

The Annotated Lolita Post 5

I found it interesting how quickly things progressed in this reading. Out of nowhere, this man begins stalking Lolita and H. H. and in the end he has stolen her. Humbert Humbert's desperation is very apparent in these last chapters. All he wants is Lolita back with him but he has to solve this mystery by himself. He cannot go to the police because that could expose his secret. In the middle of the reading, Humbert Humbert starts noticing this new follower. And the reader starts to question if Humbert Humbert is making this up or if it is actually happening. There are many instances where Humbert Humbert's sanity is questionable. For example, one night when he was staying at a motel with Lolita Humbert Humbert recalling the night said, "I felt sure somebody was tapping at the door of our cabin, and I flung it open, and noticed two things- that I was stark naked and that, white-glistening in the rain-dripping darkness, there stood a man holding before his face the mask of Juting Chin, a grotesque sleuth in the funnies. He emitted a muffled guffaw and scurried away, and I reeled back into the room, and fell asleep again, and am not sure even to this day that the visit was not a drug-prvoked dream" (217).  From then on, Humbert Humbert keeps having these visuals and it makes the reader question if he is sane. This leads me to my first research question which touches on the psychoanalysis of Humbert Humbert. We are constantly trying to figure out Humbert Humbert and explain his attraction to Lolita and the reasoning behind his actions.

The Annotated Lolita Post 4

It was in this reading that Humbert Humbert's games and wits were called to my attention. The way he swoons over Lolita and is able to toy with her mind and emotions really secures the idea that he is playing a chess game. From the very beginning of the reading, he talks about his tactics to which he confirms that Lolita will keep their secret. He is always manipulating her even though she is quite smart for her age and is mentally sharp. She does not catch on to the simple things he does to forever hold her "prisoner" if you will. He creates this image in her head of what her life would be like if he was not there. Or if anybody were to find out about their sexual relations. When talking about what would happen if their secret was exposed Humbert says, "So I go to jail. Okay. I go to jail. But what happens to you, my orphan? Well, you are luckier. You become a ward of the Department of Public Welfare - which I am afraid sounds a little bleak" (151). And then goes on to say, "If we two are found out, you will be analyzed and institutionalized" (151). He is embedding in her mind a life much more horrible than the one she has now. And ensuring that no matter how upset she may become at him in the future, that she would never dare talk about what was going on between them sexually. It is all a game to Humbert Humbert even though he is deeply in love with Lolita. He is playing a chess game and is ultimately at this point of the novel, the winner. He has Lolita wrapped around his little finger doing exactly what he wants. He gives her what she wants but she must reciprocate and fill his desires. He has finally come to the understanding of Lolita as a whole. He knows how she operates and what buttons to push to get what he wants without going too far. He has rooted in her mind that her life is great when she is with him and if they were ever to be separated, her standard of living would drop a great deal. The reader gets the idea that Lolita likes being the object of someone's desire and would not enjoy any of the possibilities at hand, if her and Humbert Humbert would be found out.  So she in turn keeps her mouth shut and Humbert can keep winning his game.

The Annotated Lolita Post 3

I found it odd how Lolita came onto Humbert Humbert. When stating this in court it was almost as if he was trying to say what he did was okay and not completely his fault. I found the ending of Part One to go by rather fast. From Ms. Haze's death to actually sleeping with Lolita, the chain of events progressed  quickly. I think Lolita was a lot different than Humbert Humbert anticipated. She was nothing similar to Annabelle his child lover. First off, she was not a virgin and she was not sweet and innocent like Annabelle had been.  Humbert Humbert had been preparing for months how exactly he would go about seducing Lolita and when the time came things turned out very different than he had expected. When the sleeping pills he had given her did not work, he panicked. But then the next morning, it was Lolita who seduced Humbert Humbert. And he did not even have to say or do anything, he simply just played along. It makes me think, Is this a child molesters dream? To have a child be more than willing to partake in his fantasies. Or is it the opposite, that it takes away the thrill of overcoming your victim. Humbert Humbert does not seem too bothered by it and happily leaves their hotel and travels to the next spot where he will continue this romance. Part 1 of Lolita is quite different from The Enchanter in this way. The girl in The Enchanter does not consent to the man's actions but Lolita does. When I was reading The Enchanter I felt more disgusted then I did when reading Lolita. Even though I know what Humbert Humbert was doing was wrong and sickening, it was different because Lolita gave permission. Whereas, the girl in The Enchanter did not agree to do anything with the man and when he tried to take her over, it made my stomach sink.

The Annotated Lolita Post 2

Throughout the reading, Humbert Humbert keeps alluding to the comparison of Lolita and a butterfly. He is constantly describing himself as a spider in his attempt to "capture" or win her over.  Humbert Humbert when speaking about himself says, "Like some predator that prefers a moving prey to a motionless one" (42). This is referring to a spider that preys upon their target when it is still alive rather than dead. It is important to note that spiders are a butterfly's "natural enemy" (357). In one scene in the book, Humbert Humbert goes on to relate how searching the house for Lolita is similar to that of a spider forming their web. He says, "I am like one of those inflated pale spiders you see in the old gardens. Sitting in the middle of a luminous web and giving little jerks to this or that strand" (49). Spider webs are as described "luminous" and attract the attention of insects until they find themselves ultimately stuck in the web, awaiting their death by the nearby hunter. When Humbert Humbert describes his own "web" as being luminous, he is describing his overall appearance. As he does earlier in the book, he thinks he is a handsome fellow and to him that is what is drawing in Lolita. Spiders tend to lure in their prey and then attack. And as the famous black widow is known for, they often times attack those closest to them (their own spouse). Even though a butterfly can symbolize Lolita, it is also important to keep this in mind. She very well could be another spider in a sense, that not until Humbert Humbert has fully captured her will he enjoy and then ultimately kill his beloved Lolita. 

The Annotated Lolita Post 1

The fact that Nabokov's Foreword to Lolita is written by a fictional character immediately makes the reader question what is true and what is false. It confuses the reader into the possibility for the time sake that you are reading Lolita that it is a novel of truth. Lolita is written as the memoir of Humber Humbert.  John Ray, Jr whom is the character that has "written" the foreword is the cousin of Humbert Humbert's lawyer. John Ray, Jr writes how H. H. dies of coronary thrombosis in prison awaiting his trial for a crime that is not named.

It is interesting how John Ray, Jr immediately condemns Humbert Humbert's actions. He states, "I have no intention to glorify "H.H." No doubt, he is horrible, he is abject, he is a shining example of moral leprosy" (5). However, with saying that he does admit that although wrong, Humbert Humbert's love for Lolita was honest and real. He also goes on to explain Humbert Humbert's language and how it is the tenderness with which he speaks that makes readers keep coming back to this book. When I read this I thought of Nabokov as a writer. Even though he states many a time that he tries to separate his characters from himself. For example, Nabokov is a Lepidopterist and made it clear that the character H.H. knows nothing about Lepidoptera. But it is Nabokov's skills as a writer and his superb use of language that captivates readers even though the subject matter is unpleasant and morally wrong. And makes them keep coming back to this novel as well as others.

The Enchanter pt 2

One of the aspects of Nabokov that makes him such a brilliant writer is his character development. Something that struck me in The Enchanter was his description and formation of the young girl. Even though she only speaks twice during the whole book, there are certain details about her that make her relationship with the narrator even more haunting. The fact that she comes from a broken home really struck me emotionally. She resides with a couple who are strict and give off this feeling that they do not want her. And then her mother is ill and is very clear that she does not care for the girl. Knowing these details of the girl's life makes you think that she is already emotionally troubled. And then when she finally is put in the care of a guardian who seems like a good person and wants her, it turns out to be the narrator whom is a molester. You would think that any child who comes from a home life like hers would want a stable person in her life. And when she does receive that stable person, he is perverted and awful. These small details made the text even more heart-wrenching than it already was.

Here are some of the quotes describing the girl's home life:

"The girl's presence only irritated the widow, who was exceptionally decent but had grown somewhat self-indulgent" (16).

"And hers was not a very happy childhood, that of a half-orphan: this stern woman's kindness was not like milk chocolate, but like the bitter-kind - a home without caresses, strict order, symptons of fatigue, a favor for a friends grown burdensome" (18).

"that what is paramount to me is my peace and quiet. If it is disrupted I shall die. . . .Listen: there she goes scraping her foot on the floor or banging something - it wasn't very loud, was it? - yet it's already enough to give me a nervous spasm and make me see spots before my eyes. And a child cannot live without banging around; even if there are twenty-fve rooms all twenty-five will be noisy. Therefore you'll have to choose between me and her" (35).

The Enchanter pt 1

I found it rather interesting at what lengths the narrator goes to obtain a relationship with the young girl. He first had to develop a relationship with the girl's mother and then ended up marrying her. He has to care for and live with the sick woman who comes off as miserable and irritating. She is overbearing when it comes to him but wants nothing to do with her daughter. He puts up with her for so long in the hopes of the day that she passes away, that he will be able to look after the young girl. And then begin his sexual relationship with her.

I thought Nabokov did a fabulous job developing the character's thought process for this whole scheme. At one point, he even thinks about poising his new wife so that the girl can come live with him quicker. At times it seems like his patience is running out and he can no longer tolerate the woman he is living with. When thinking about his wife he gets frustrated and says, "How simple it would be if dear Mummy were to die tomorrow. But no- she's in no hurry, she has sunk her teeth into life, and will hang on, and what do I stand to gain if she takes her time dying, and what arrives for her funeral will be a touch-me-not of sixteen or a stranger of twenty? How simple it would be.. if there were some poison handy..." (39). This character in The Enchanter is manipulative and even though what he is doing is grotesque and immoral you must admit that he is very clever. He sacrifices his somewhat normal life for this girl, in the way that he marries and devotes time to her mother. During the majority of the book he does not even know if the girl will end up living with him. I found the devotion of this character mesmerizing in a haunting way.

I know The Enchanter is much shorter than Lolita but I think what it lacks in comparison besides length, is the details or description of the man's tortured mind. I found myself feeling sympathetic towards the character Humbert Humbert even though I know what he is doing is awful and wrong. I did not get that same type of feeling when reading The Enchanter. It may be because it is a shorter read, so Nabokov did not go into as much detail about the man's nature as in Lolita. With saying that, I do not mean that I disliked this book instead, I actually found it a very quick and absorbing read. And I am starting to like Nabokov more and more.

First Post

"Every great writer is a great deceiver" (5)

This reminded me of our talk about how Nabokov plays games. Obviously known as a great writer, he has mastered the skills of deception. He mentions in his interview how he never gets attached to the characters in his books. To him they are merely characters, figures of his imagination. The interviewer asks how oftentimes, "writers talk of how a character takes hold of them and in a sense dictates the course of action" (69). Nabokov replies by saying how every character sticks to a course he's made for them and that any writer who has experienced that must be deranged. The way that Nabokov writes about Lolita from Humbert's standpoint almost makes you feel like he does have an emotional attachment to the character. If I had not read this interview, I would of thought so. I think that is a game in itself. That he can write as if he is attached to the character but in reality Lolita is just some individual he made up who sticks to the exact plan he has come up. Last class, we compared Nabokov's writing style to a chess game. In chess, every move is working towards a greater purpose (check mate). In a novel, every detail, works towards a greater purpose as well. Just like one of my classmates mentioned last class, an author wouldn't make one of it's characters go to the store to just buy milk. Instead, there would have to be a reason behind the trip to the store. Every detail must be thought out much like every move in a chess game. It takes strategy and skill to "win the game" or write a well composed novel.


There are three points of view from which a writer can be considered:

1. Storyteller
2. Teacher
3. Enchanter  

• "It is the enchanter in him that predominates and makes him a major writer" (5). 
• "Finally, and above all, a great writer is always a great enchanter" (5).

The fact that Nabokov can pull readers in on a story about a pedophile and his relationship with a child makes him an enchanter. If I were to meet the character H. H. without reading Lolita, I would detest him. Taking a child's innocence is one of the most heinous crimes a person can commit. However, Nabokov lets you in on H.H's thinking and his tortured soul. The reader begins to understand or try to understand this complex character. A certain sympathy is given to the character who can not control his desire for pre-pubesent girls. What is fascinating about the character H. H. is that he knows what he is doing is wrong. In the first couple chapters it is stated that he respects normal children and would never disturb their innocence. However, when it comes to certain little girls he cannot help himself. When the reader knows that the character is aware of his crime and knows that it is terrible, there is a certain compassion shown towards Humbert. I think about this in real life examples. When I read about crimes on death row for example, no matter how wrong a crime can seem, if the criminal feels sorry and knows they were wrong, I cannot help but feel the slightest bit of empathy for them. But, if I read about crimes in which the wrongdoer does not feel bad for at all, it is much more difficult to feel sorry for the criminal. Much the same with the book Lolita. Due to the fact that Nabokov paints the character H. H. in a certain way, it makes the reader feel kindness towards him, even if he is doing something that we all know is wrong and repulsive. Nabokov takes a subject that is so taboo and enchants his readers into wanting to know more of the story and see if they can figure out this complicated man.