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lolita

the truth according to Dolores

Silvana Tuccio, February 2016

In a book-lined room, where worlds hid behind covers, a woman was reading a novel out loud: it was Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, published in 1953. I had read it many years ago. In it, the narrator, who is also the protagonist of the novel, Humbert, gives Dolores, a pre-adolescent, the name “Lolita.”

It would be true to say that Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, Lolita, has a hold on the collective imaginary. It represents a notion of femininity. Upon hearing it, I promised to express what I felt.

As stated, the narrator of the novel Lolita is Humbert, the principal protagonist and he who has named “Lolita.” Humbert’s desire for Lolita creates the novel’s momentum. All the other protagonists, including Dolores, are defined with respect to his objective, that is to know intimacy. Thus, Dolores becomes the nymphette “Lolita,” embodying the sensuality that Humbert seeks and Dolores’ mother becomes the obstacle that Humbert must overcome to gain access to Dolores-Lolita. As Humbert reveals his feelings and his intentions, the reader, who is witness to his inner dialogue, participates, albeit involuntarily, in the transgression that is enacted. Read the article.