Deception

"By permitting Lolita to study acting I had, fond fool, suffered her to cultivate deceit. It now appeared that it had not been merely a matter of learning the answers to such questions as what is the basic conflict in "Hedda Gabler," or where the climaxes in "Love Under the Lindens," or analyze the prevailing mood of "Cherry Orchard"; it was really a matter of learning to betray me. How I deplored now the exercises in sensual simulation that I had so often seen her go through in our Beardsley parlor when I would observe her from some strategic point while she, like a hypnotic subject or a performer in a mystic rite, produced sophisticated versions of infantile make-believe by going through the mimetic actions of hearing a moan in the dark..." (Chapter 20, pg. 215-216).

Here, Humbert Humbert bemoans his decision in allowing Lolita to participate in her school's drama department, believing she has learned to deceive him by constantly acting around him. As Part Two of Lolita continues, it is clear the Humbert is growing increasingly paranoid, thinking Lolita is perhaps having a tryst with another older man. His worries carry a double irony, the first being that he is unwilling to lose Lolita as a sexual partner, though she is a couple years the nymphet age, and the second is his fussing over her supposed deception when the audience (be it the readers or the jury) have to take smooth-talking Humbert's words with a grain of salt, since he needs to portray himself in a positive light if he hopes to be found "not guilty" for whoever's death he caused. If Humbert were to think clearly, however, it would not be certain if Lolita learned the dramatic skill set through her school or rather, has she been using it throughout their relationship, stringing Humbert along and constantly toying with his emotions.

Has Lolita now found a way to fool Humbert, so she may carry out her plans? Or rather, has she been doing this all along, toying with Humbert's emotions because she knew he had more to lose than she did?