Humbert searched frantically for Lolita. To no avail. He is unable to locate her, and eventually finds a woman named Rita, with whom he has a two year relationship. Time passes, and Lolita eventually sends him a letter requesting some money. Humbert travels to meet her and discovers that she is pregnant. She explains that she ran off with a man, but after he tried to get her to appear in a pornographic production she left him, and worked a string of odd jobs. Eventually she met her current husband, and is now having a baby.
Humbert is sad, but gives her a considerable amount of money. Then goes in search of the man who stole Lolita from him. He finds him, and after a very long conversation (that I admit I skimmed) he shoots him. Humbert is later arrested for swerving while driving.
I think the ultimate determinant when discussing the feelings that Humbert has for Lolita is whether he acts in her benefit or his own. Throughout the whole of the book, Humbert can be seen to be acting in his own benefit through almost all of his decisions. His every choice is a way in which to satiate his lusts or conceal his unsavory acts.
Only at the end does he show any contrition, or indeed love for Delores Haze.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
A Rose by Any other Name....
Having finally settled down and enrolled Lolita in an all girl's school (ostensibly to protect his conquest from the draws that young men her age would provide) H.H. continued his sexual relationship with his step daughter. However a noticeable shift occurred wherein Humbert began to exchange sex for money or favors. In such a way they lived their life, until Lolita was presented with an opportunity to act in a play. She pleaded with Humbert, and after he relented she was able to participate.
Unbeknownst to H.H. however, Lolita begins craving freedom and after some time runs away.
In this blog post, I'd like to address something that I neglected to address last time. Namely, the sexual competency of children. At what point do children understand sex, or at the very least understand the persuasive possibilities that it provides? Lolita, (the novel, not the character) seems to suggest that such a transformation can occur at a very young age. Despite, social convention to the contrary, even history seems to say the same.
One of the most notable love stories ever is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The story contained therein is one of love and lust encapsulated within the budding and ultimately burgeoning romance of the young lovers. I recall once reading that Romeo was 14 to Juliet's 13, and such information seems to call into question the popular belief that sex between children and adults always is initiated by the adult.
I can think of a good half dozen examples, ranging from young men who have crushes on their female teachers, all the way to Lolita initiating sex with Humbert to support this idea. What then has changed in society that makes the act of sex with children criminal?
I would have to say that the answer to that is two fold. There has been a dramatic increase in our life expectancy coupled with a subtle shift in our political sensibilities. We became more conservative and at the same time advances in technology and medical knowledge resulted in longer lives. Our increase in life expectancy took the burden of women to conceive whilst young.
It should be noted that this has little to do with Humbert, who is ultimately in the wrong due to the fact that he is Lolita's official guardian. This is a position of trust and he abused it.
Unbeknownst to H.H. however, Lolita begins craving freedom and after some time runs away.
In this blog post, I'd like to address something that I neglected to address last time. Namely, the sexual competency of children. At what point do children understand sex, or at the very least understand the persuasive possibilities that it provides? Lolita, (the novel, not the character) seems to suggest that such a transformation can occur at a very young age. Despite, social convention to the contrary, even history seems to say the same.
One of the most notable love stories ever is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The story contained therein is one of love and lust encapsulated within the budding and ultimately burgeoning romance of the young lovers. I recall once reading that Romeo was 14 to Juliet's 13, and such information seems to call into question the popular belief that sex between children and adults always is initiated by the adult.
I can think of a good half dozen examples, ranging from young men who have crushes on their female teachers, all the way to Lolita initiating sex with Humbert to support this idea. What then has changed in society that makes the act of sex with children criminal?
I would have to say that the answer to that is two fold. There has been a dramatic increase in our life expectancy coupled with a subtle shift in our political sensibilities. We became more conservative and at the same time advances in technology and medical knowledge resulted in longer lives. Our increase in life expectancy took the burden of women to conceive whilst young.
It should be noted that this has little to do with Humbert, who is ultimately in the wrong due to the fact that he is Lolita's official guardian. This is a position of trust and he abused it.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Paradise Lost
LAST TIME ON LOLITA:
Charlotte Haze ran out into the street and got hit by a car, leaving the mischievous Humbert Humbert free to exercise his machinations on the young Delores Haze (our Lolita).
THIS TIME:
Let it never be said that H.H. wasn't a clever man. A gentleman less in control of his lusts might have run off at the first possibility to secure Lolita, and in the process revealing to the world his intentions. Humbert, feigned grief. He sat with friends and talked about his love for the late Charlotte Haze (whom he had married in case I had neglected to mention that last time). They sat around and talked about the appropriate way in which to tell young Delores that her only living relative was now dead. Humbert suggested that he take her on a trip for a while. In this way, she wouldn't be confronted with the realities of going to school and coming home to a house absent her mother. Only after selling, the deceased's friends on this plan of action did H.H. leave to pick up Lolita from the summer camp she had been staying at.
They drove long into the night, and finally stopped at a hotel. Delores took the knowledge of here mother's death rather difficultly. Although whether that's due to her predisposition to theatrics or sincerity I am unsure. While at the hotel, Humbert feeds Lolita some sleeping pills, with the intention of ravishing her in the night, however the pills aren't strong enough and it give's Lolita some insight into her new step-father's designs on her. She awakes the next morning and proceeds to instigate coitus (i have always wanted to use that word) siting a sexual experience that she had previously while at the summer camp.
In the ensuing months they moved around from state to state, in an attempt to simultaneously keep Lolita occupied and keep them from being discovered. Finally, they settle down, and Humbert enrolls Lolita in an all girls school.
When starting this blog, I believe I said something to the effect of I was desirous to understand the subtle distinction between what was classified as perverse and what fell under the purview of love.
1 Corinthians 13:4 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Taking such a description into account, we can easily say that H.H. is patient, and often kind. He doesn't envy or boast. He is hardly proud. Actually, most of these things on the surface appear to be things that Humbert would espouse. The problem is that Humbert is that each of these things Humbert does in an attempt to get something else. Which ultimately makes him the model of self seeking.
If I could add an addition to this description, it would be that love is something that is enjoyed in the light, while lusts are generally kept in the darkness. Unfortunately, I'm still unsure of whether that is generated by social conventions or not.
Charlotte Haze ran out into the street and got hit by a car, leaving the mischievous Humbert Humbert free to exercise his machinations on the young Delores Haze (our Lolita).
THIS TIME:
Let it never be said that H.H. wasn't a clever man. A gentleman less in control of his lusts might have run off at the first possibility to secure Lolita, and in the process revealing to the world his intentions. Humbert, feigned grief. He sat with friends and talked about his love for the late Charlotte Haze (whom he had married in case I had neglected to mention that last time). They sat around and talked about the appropriate way in which to tell young Delores that her only living relative was now dead. Humbert suggested that he take her on a trip for a while. In this way, she wouldn't be confronted with the realities of going to school and coming home to a house absent her mother. Only after selling, the deceased's friends on this plan of action did H.H. leave to pick up Lolita from the summer camp she had been staying at.
They drove long into the night, and finally stopped at a hotel. Delores took the knowledge of here mother's death rather difficultly. Although whether that's due to her predisposition to theatrics or sincerity I am unsure. While at the hotel, Humbert feeds Lolita some sleeping pills, with the intention of ravishing her in the night, however the pills aren't strong enough and it give's Lolita some insight into her new step-father's designs on her. She awakes the next morning and proceeds to instigate coitus (i have always wanted to use that word) siting a sexual experience that she had previously while at the summer camp.
In the ensuing months they moved around from state to state, in an attempt to simultaneously keep Lolita occupied and keep them from being discovered. Finally, they settle down, and Humbert enrolls Lolita in an all girls school.
When starting this blog, I believe I said something to the effect of I was desirous to understand the subtle distinction between what was classified as perverse and what fell under the purview of love.
1 Corinthians 13:4 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Taking such a description into account, we can easily say that H.H. is patient, and often kind. He doesn't envy or boast. He is hardly proud. Actually, most of these things on the surface appear to be things that Humbert would espouse. The problem is that Humbert is that each of these things Humbert does in an attempt to get something else. Which ultimately makes him the model of self seeking.
If I could add an addition to this description, it would be that love is something that is enjoyed in the light, while lusts are generally kept in the darkness. Unfortunately, I'm still unsure of whether that is generated by social conventions or not.
Generational Sin
So, I must ask you to forgive the incredible lull in between my previous post and this one. I am not very good with blogs. However, now is not the time to think on such things. Let us return to Monsieur Humbert's current story.
We left Humbert Humbert (hereafter referred to as H.H.) in the midst of a cycle that was close to driving him insane. Being in proximity to nymphets was provoking his lusts, while his inability to satiate said lusts caused him distress. To that end he would go on long expeditions to escape. Well following on of these expeditions a friend or relative invites him to stay for a while at the home of a friend of theirs. This home would be quaint and was located moments away from a lake that would provide a place for quiet introspection. H.H arrives to find a place much more unsavory than he was led to believe. He finds the domicile garish and the matron of the house (a Ms. Charlotte Haze, whom he refers to as the Haze woman) far to Hollywood in her sensibilities. He has all but decided to turn down the invitation to stay there and flee when he is taken into the garden and sees little Dolores Haze (referred to commonly as Lolita, Lo, or Dolores when she makes someone angry). To put it into terms that aren't sexually gratuitous, she knocked him off his feet. I'll not attempt to uncover whether or not his feelings amounted to love or were just lust, suffice it to say she caused him to stay.
The weeks that ensued caused saw him become a silent permanent fixture in the house. The Haze Woman almost immediately falls for his good looks and H.H. takes advantage of that to spend as much time near little Lo as his can. If Humbert is to be believed his every brush against her amounts to a sexual excitation that normal men couldn't fathom. I'd like to think, that this would have been enough for H.H. Living in the Garden of Eden and only ever looking at the Tree of Life. Unfortunately, Charlotte Haze seemed to resent her daughter, and the good favor her new paramour lavished on her. Seeking to separate them from Lolita, Charlotte sought to send Lolita to a boarding school. H.H. could have died. In his rage he cursed the Haze Woman, and extolled the virtues that Lolita had. Virtues that, he remarked, either had diminished in Charlotte or never existed to begin with. Of course, Charlotte finds the letter. For the briefest minute all is lost. Charlotte is distraught and beside herself with jealousy and anger. She screams that she'll take Lolita away, and he'll never see her again. Then runs out of the house to send some important letters. Humbert sits in a haze (no pun intended) and as providence would have it is saved by a stray dog in the street, which causes a car to jump the curb and kills Charlotte Haze instantly.
I must admit, with the lies and scheming to get in proximity with little Lo, I am becoming less convinced at the love H.H. claims to have on behalf of Lolita. What I did find interesting was that as I was reading about Humbert's exploits I found myself making the association with the Songs of Solomon.
This led me to think about another thing that I heard at church once when I was little. My pastor said something to the effect of sometimes in the Bible it seems as if sins of the father are exacerbated in their sons. The best example of this would be King David. For the sake of brevity, I will assume you are caught up on the story of David and Bathsheba, if not feel free to search for the story on Google. David's sexual immorality was compounded and ultimately multiplied in his sons. Ammon for instance lusted after and then raped his sister Tamar. Solomon on the other hand had the Kingdom stripped from his son due to his own sexual immorality, which resulted in decades of Kings that didn't acknowledge God. All that posit the question, could sexuality be something that is genetic? Might H.H. have been genetically predisposed to be infatuated with girls in the 12-14 year age range? If that is the case how much of his behavior should be attributed to him. Much in the way alcoholism is considered a disease that is capable of generational transmission, was Humbert in the same boat?
We left Humbert Humbert (hereafter referred to as H.H.) in the midst of a cycle that was close to driving him insane. Being in proximity to nymphets was provoking his lusts, while his inability to satiate said lusts caused him distress. To that end he would go on long expeditions to escape. Well following on of these expeditions a friend or relative invites him to stay for a while at the home of a friend of theirs. This home would be quaint and was located moments away from a lake that would provide a place for quiet introspection. H.H arrives to find a place much more unsavory than he was led to believe. He finds the domicile garish and the matron of the house (a Ms. Charlotte Haze, whom he refers to as the Haze woman) far to Hollywood in her sensibilities. He has all but decided to turn down the invitation to stay there and flee when he is taken into the garden and sees little Dolores Haze (referred to commonly as Lolita, Lo, or Dolores when she makes someone angry). To put it into terms that aren't sexually gratuitous, she knocked him off his feet. I'll not attempt to uncover whether or not his feelings amounted to love or were just lust, suffice it to say she caused him to stay.
The weeks that ensued caused saw him become a silent permanent fixture in the house. The Haze Woman almost immediately falls for his good looks and H.H. takes advantage of that to spend as much time near little Lo as his can. If Humbert is to be believed his every brush against her amounts to a sexual excitation that normal men couldn't fathom. I'd like to think, that this would have been enough for H.H. Living in the Garden of Eden and only ever looking at the Tree of Life. Unfortunately, Charlotte Haze seemed to resent her daughter, and the good favor her new paramour lavished on her. Seeking to separate them from Lolita, Charlotte sought to send Lolita to a boarding school. H.H. could have died. In his rage he cursed the Haze Woman, and extolled the virtues that Lolita had. Virtues that, he remarked, either had diminished in Charlotte or never existed to begin with. Of course, Charlotte finds the letter. For the briefest minute all is lost. Charlotte is distraught and beside herself with jealousy and anger. She screams that she'll take Lolita away, and he'll never see her again. Then runs out of the house to send some important letters. Humbert sits in a haze (no pun intended) and as providence would have it is saved by a stray dog in the street, which causes a car to jump the curb and kills Charlotte Haze instantly.
I must admit, with the lies and scheming to get in proximity with little Lo, I am becoming less convinced at the love H.H. claims to have on behalf of Lolita. What I did find interesting was that as I was reading about Humbert's exploits I found myself making the association with the Songs of Solomon.
This led me to think about another thing that I heard at church once when I was little. My pastor said something to the effect of sometimes in the Bible it seems as if sins of the father are exacerbated in their sons. The best example of this would be King David. For the sake of brevity, I will assume you are caught up on the story of David and Bathsheba, if not feel free to search for the story on Google. David's sexual immorality was compounded and ultimately multiplied in his sons. Ammon for instance lusted after and then raped his sister Tamar. Solomon on the other hand had the Kingdom stripped from his son due to his own sexual immorality, which resulted in decades of Kings that didn't acknowledge God. All that posit the question, could sexuality be something that is genetic? Might H.H. have been genetically predisposed to be infatuated with girls in the 12-14 year age range? If that is the case how much of his behavior should be attributed to him. Much in the way alcoholism is considered a disease that is capable of generational transmission, was Humbert in the same boat?
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Humbert's and Paul
So it's been a while since I've posted anything on this blog. Part of it is because I'm lazy, partly because I lost my book (recently recovered), and a very big part is that every time I went to research the societal shift in views regarding what the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) affectionately has termed inter generational relationships my skin began to crawl.
It didn't occur to me until quite late in the semester that perhaps I might not be equipped to gird myself against my own views on this subject, fortunately I need a good grade in this class and grades trump all.
PREVIOUSLY ON LOLITA:
We were introduced to Humbert Humbert, a lover of nymphet's, with pedophilic tendencies who has yet to actually indulge. The second part of Lolita see's Humbert recently liberated from his young wife, and with that loosed from the societal chains that kept him at bay. Loving his new freedom, yet unable to encourage his lusts, Humbert pushes the line. He spends a lot of time watching young girls in the park, and when the urges become too much sleeps with a prostitute. Slowly but surely the pressure begins to affect his work and his mind. So he goes away, removing himself from temptation. He even spends some time in the arctic working with scientists. Equilibrium restored he returns to society and the cycle occurs again. His refusal to indulge, drives him insane, and then separation from the negative stimulus results in a return to normalcy.
So what's the guy to do? Is he supposed to live his life as some sort of hermit? Separate from the rest of humanity to best live in accordance with God's laws? Paul would say, yes.
In 1 Corinthians verse 7, Paul addresses sexual morality and the institution of marriage. He seems to view sexual immorality as being very much a consistent part of human life. Understanding that humans have trouble containing their sexual urges, Paul pushes for sex to be enacted inside the institution of marriage.
Humbert tried that. And, through no fault of his own failed. While inside of his marriage, he remained faithful to his wife. However, now absent that limiter what would God have him do?
Ideally he should get remarried, but absent that I feel that Paul would have had him "stay unmarried".
It didn't occur to me until quite late in the semester that perhaps I might not be equipped to gird myself against my own views on this subject, fortunately I need a good grade in this class and grades trump all.
PREVIOUSLY ON LOLITA:
We were introduced to Humbert Humbert, a lover of nymphet's, with pedophilic tendencies who has yet to actually indulge. The second part of Lolita see's Humbert recently liberated from his young wife, and with that loosed from the societal chains that kept him at bay. Loving his new freedom, yet unable to encourage his lusts, Humbert pushes the line. He spends a lot of time watching young girls in the park, and when the urges become too much sleeps with a prostitute. Slowly but surely the pressure begins to affect his work and his mind. So he goes away, removing himself from temptation. He even spends some time in the arctic working with scientists. Equilibrium restored he returns to society and the cycle occurs again. His refusal to indulge, drives him insane, and then separation from the negative stimulus results in a return to normalcy.
So what's the guy to do? Is he supposed to live his life as some sort of hermit? Separate from the rest of humanity to best live in accordance with God's laws? Paul would say, yes.
In 1 Corinthians verse 7, Paul addresses sexual morality and the institution of marriage. He seems to view sexual immorality as being very much a consistent part of human life. Understanding that humans have trouble containing their sexual urges, Paul pushes for sex to be enacted inside the institution of marriage.
Humbert tried that. And, through no fault of his own failed. While inside of his marriage, he remained faithful to his wife. However, now absent that limiter what would God have him do?
Ideally he should get remarried, but absent that I feel that Paul would have had him "stay unmarried".
Sunday, February 19, 2012
My Lolita
If I had to give a title to the first part of the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov, I would call it "Concerning Humbert Humbert and his Sexual Addiction". Over the course of these next 8 weeks, I hope to analyze what defines sexual perversion from the biblical perspective, as well as culturally what's shifted in regards to what is considered Perverse.
Introducing Humbert....Humbert
Yes, his name is Humbert Humbert. Self described as a Humphrey Bogart of Europe, we are introduced to Humbert as he writes his story from prison. He gives us a short back story, mainly focusing on those things in the early part of his life that resulted in his current predicament. Much of his introduction is preoccupied with an early romance he had with what appears to be either a family friend or a distant relative. Their passion for one another is surprisingly intense, and burns hotter due to the fact that their families deny them release. This lovely little story concludes with an erotic struggle of sorts on the beach that ultimately ends in Humbert and his young love being discovered and no release being achieved. This idealized tryst informs the rest of Humbert's sexual life, as he seeks to find again the unbridled passion of that first encounter (keeping in mind he was of a comparable age at that time). As Humbert ages he becomes quite taken with girls between the age of 11-14. Granted not every girl in that age range, a specific subset he labels "nymphettes". Nymphettes are charactarized by their latent sexuality (in addition to their age range) that has nothing to do with actual attractiveness, and apparently cannot be recognized by anyone who isn't sexually attracted to Nymphettes. Anyway, he makes do with creepily gazing at the nymphettes by where he lives and works, until he feels the societal pressure to get married. He ends up marrying a young woman, who is not really a nymphette but looks close enough that he's able to look past it....At least until she gets older. She ends up having an affair and leaving, and Humbert goes insane....sorta.
In this, the beginning of the story of Humbert and the young Lolita, the root of the problem is presented. Humbert clearly has pedophilic tendencies, however much more at issue, at least in the inital chapters is that Humbert worships these nymphettes. Don't misunderstand, I'm not condoning sexual relations between adults and children. However one merely has to look back a couple decades before the time period that Humbert would have existed in to find grown men marrying 15 or 16 year old girls. And a short time before that it wasn't uncommon for men to marry girls as soon as they began menstruation. I cannot claim in any way to know the mind of God, but I find it difficult to believe that God's feelings on the age of consent changes century to century like ours. A much bigger issue, I feel, in the eyes of God (and subsequently to me as I seek to discover the basis for perversion in our society) is that Humbert elevated these young girls, effectively worship them like effigies of the relationship that God intended for men and women to have together.
Later on in the book, Humbert makes a claim that he always loved Dolores (Lolita to him). I'm completely unconvinced of this. However over the next couple of weeks I hope to explore this claim. And if, as I believe, Humbert is among the many that God, "gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another" (Romans 1:24) then I plan to look into what God would have him do.
Introducing Humbert....Humbert
Yes, his name is Humbert Humbert. Self described as a Humphrey Bogart of Europe, we are introduced to Humbert as he writes his story from prison. He gives us a short back story, mainly focusing on those things in the early part of his life that resulted in his current predicament. Much of his introduction is preoccupied with an early romance he had with what appears to be either a family friend or a distant relative. Their passion for one another is surprisingly intense, and burns hotter due to the fact that their families deny them release. This lovely little story concludes with an erotic struggle of sorts on the beach that ultimately ends in Humbert and his young love being discovered and no release being achieved. This idealized tryst informs the rest of Humbert's sexual life, as he seeks to find again the unbridled passion of that first encounter (keeping in mind he was of a comparable age at that time). As Humbert ages he becomes quite taken with girls between the age of 11-14. Granted not every girl in that age range, a specific subset he labels "nymphettes". Nymphettes are charactarized by their latent sexuality (in addition to their age range) that has nothing to do with actual attractiveness, and apparently cannot be recognized by anyone who isn't sexually attracted to Nymphettes. Anyway, he makes do with creepily gazing at the nymphettes by where he lives and works, until he feels the societal pressure to get married. He ends up marrying a young woman, who is not really a nymphette but looks close enough that he's able to look past it....At least until she gets older. She ends up having an affair and leaving, and Humbert goes insane....sorta.
In this, the beginning of the story of Humbert and the young Lolita, the root of the problem is presented. Humbert clearly has pedophilic tendencies, however much more at issue, at least in the inital chapters is that Humbert worships these nymphettes. Don't misunderstand, I'm not condoning sexual relations between adults and children. However one merely has to look back a couple decades before the time period that Humbert would have existed in to find grown men marrying 15 or 16 year old girls. And a short time before that it wasn't uncommon for men to marry girls as soon as they began menstruation. I cannot claim in any way to know the mind of God, but I find it difficult to believe that God's feelings on the age of consent changes century to century like ours. A much bigger issue, I feel, in the eyes of God (and subsequently to me as I seek to discover the basis for perversion in our society) is that Humbert elevated these young girls, effectively worship them like effigies of the relationship that God intended for men and women to have together.
Later on in the book, Humbert makes a claim that he always loved Dolores (Lolita to him). I'm completely unconvinced of this. However over the next couple of weeks I hope to explore this claim. And if, as I believe, Humbert is among the many that God, "gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another" (Romans 1:24) then I plan to look into what God would have him do.
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