Lolita vs. Humbert

Miss Pratt: “…Dolly is obsessed by sexual thoughts for which she finds no outlet, and will tease and martyrize other girls, or even younger instructors because they do have innocent dates with boys…” (197)

Humbert: “…I sat beside Dolly just behind that neck and that hair, and unbuttoned my overcoat and for sixty-five cents plus the permission to participate in the school play, had Dolly put her inky, chalky, red-knuckled hand under the desk. Oh, stupid and reckless of me, no doubt…(but) I simply had to take advantage of a combination that I knew would never occur again” (198)

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Here we have a young girl, who, on one side of the coin, seems terribly dysfunctional, teases her classmates for not being sexually active, and does not excel in school; but who, looked at from the other side of the coin, gets paid 65 cents to masturbate her (legal?) guardian.

In my opinion, this scene is probably the most perverse and macabre in the story. Lolita is not only 100% adjusted to having a corrupt childhood but also has an incentive for maintaining it. This lifestyle is what leads her to “be obsessed by sexual thoughts for which she finds no outlet.” As a result, people around her notice the undisguised side effects of Humbert’s presence in her life (even though he strives to keep it all a secret). At this point the readers’ point of view on Lo is a drastic one, either they sympathize with her and are understanding of her behavior or think of her as a dumb girl who, one way or another, got herself into this.

Humbert, on the other hand, is definitely reduced to his lowest terms. He tries to control every aspect of Lolita’s life, which leads him to become paranoid and lunatic. The reader can even see in the first quote’s scene how Miss Pratt is awkwardly confused for his refusal to let Lolita engage in school activities. Humbert definitely lost control in the situation.

Will Lolita realize she is been the protagonist of a tragedy? Or will she keep assuming her childhood is the ‘norm’ and that all other girls are staying behind?