No Life of Her Own

"What I had madly possessed was not she, but my own creation, another, fanciful Lolita -- Perhaps, more real than Lolita; overlapping, encasing her; floating between me and her, and having no will, no consciousness-- indeed, no life of her own." p. 62

Humbert Humbert has just played out a very disturbing scene for his readers. After describing in every, beautifully worded and perverse detail, his first sexual encounter with Lolita, he goes on to reflect upon his morning. Humbert views his actions as having absolutely no effect on Lolita. He continues to illustrate his views of the child for his readers stating that perhaps the Lolita of his encounter was "of [his] own creation, another, fanciful Lolita". In the mind of our completely unreliable narrator, Delores Haze has escaped the ordeal without a scratch, but has she really? As if the reader is not already aware of Humbert's unreliability, he admits flat out that the Lolita in his mind is not necessarily the Lolita that actually is. This alternate Lolita seems to be unaffected by Humberts amusements, but it is entirely possible that the true Lolita is at least aware that there is something very wrong with the situation. In the section, Humbert not only objectifies Lolita, but removes her from the immediate situation entirely. It is as if he does not see Lolita as a person all, but as a nymphet who has no soul to speak of, and can therefore not be harmed by his exploits.

Is Lolita aware, at this point, of what is truly going on? (i.e. Is the reaction Humbert observes from Lolita the true reaction of Delores Haze, or an observation of his own, constructed, private nymphet Lolita?)