Lolita

Forbidden Fruit

Nabokov’s novel Lolita, portrays the character of Humbert who is involved in a relationship with a young girl. He has a fixation on nymphets and fights with his struggle throughout the novel. He goes through many relationships but can never escape his love for Lolita. The novel Lolita concerns a relationship characterized by obsession by a middle-aged man, Humbert, and his pursuit of nymphets. According to Humbert, a nymphet is a girl between the ages of nine and fourteen, not necessarily beautiful, but possessing an elusive, sexually appealing quality. Humbert defines Lolita as nymphet referring her to age and appealing characteristics. Humbert throughout the novel was never able to a move away from the idea of the nymphet. He was in relationships with older women but could never escape his pursuit for a nymphet.

Humbert describes his relationship with Annabel as a possibility for his attraction to young girls. This raises question such as had Annabel not existed, would Humbert still have the attraction for little girls? He is haunted by the fact that he was never able to complete the sexual act with Annabel and describes one encounter in the mimosa grove where they came very close. He tells the reader that he was only able to break free of Annabel’s spell when he met Lolita.

Possibly his failed attempts to have sex with Annabel may have caused his attraction to nymphet’s. Humbert's image of a nymphet is enhanced by the thoughts and memories of Annabel. He see’s similarities with Annabel and Lolita, this led to an automatic attraction when he first met her. Humbert to achieve his goal of subduing was not an easy task. He was fisrt involved with Lolita’s mother, Charlotte. Charlotte is a barrier for Humbert in his attempts to physically experience the magic of the nymphet. The relationship between Humbert and Charlotte is based on the Humbert only takes her on in marriage to guarantee himself a good threat of desertion against her if she ever...