Parody as a Game

Vanessa Hernandez

8 December 2010

Eric Olson

Intro to Writing/Lit

If one were to research Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, they would come upon countless definitions of the text. This is because many critics attempt to dissect the story as if it were a rare species of animal; picking and tearing at chunks of the content in order to try and find a solid theme that does not exist. (An example is how Jennifer L.Jenkins in her critical essay, “Searching high and Lo: unholy quest for Lolita“ bluntly states that, “…the central motif of Lolita can only be travel.”#) Nabokov shows readers through queer clues and hints that the plot of Lolita should not to be taken literal as many critics do, but instead looked upon as a game; a game in which, “the traps are baited with tempting ‘false scents’…”#

The first line of Lolita informs readers that it is a book about itself and the process of reading. It is a game in which one can never win but often lose by falling for Humbert’s series of traps and labyrinths. The fun of playing Lolita lies within the trickery and building of relationship between players; one that could be infinite.

In his essay, “Good Readers and Good Writers” Nabokov mentions that "[c]uriously enough, one cannot read a book: one can only reread it. A good reader, a major reader, an active and creative reader is a rereader." The beginning and end of Lolita loops in a circle, “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins” (9) “And this is the only immorality that you and I may share, my Lolita.” (309). This continuous loop of “Lolitas” advises readers to re-read the text. Prior to playing, one must understand the premises of the game; in the case of Lolita, the first reading of the text givies readers a sense of what they are getting into.

Once players comprehend the guidelines (through their first read), they can then play Lolita by re-reading. Even Humbert himself gives clues that re-reading is a large part of the game. “"This then is my story. I have reread it. It has bits of marrow sticking to it, and blood, and beautiful bright-green flies" (308) Here he states that during through the process, one will notice all of Lolita’s “…bits of marrow…and blood, and beautiful bright-green flies” that they had at first not noticed.

Asides from the act of rereading, Nabokov hints that readers should simply acknowledge Humbert’s use of elevated diction and elaborate stories as a parody of their expectations. “You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style.” (9) This, however, is much easier said than done.

Many readers lose themselves in the labyrinth of Lolita because of their thought process. At a young age, most children learn to search for deeper meanings than what is present while reading texts. Through the course of years, their minds become adjusted to searching for symbols and finding themes. Humbert parodies “…the reader’s complete self-indulgent identification with a character.” (xxxii) by succumbing to their expectations with the apologies and clues to his reasons for pedophilia. As Alfred Appel mentions within The Annotated Lolita’s Introduction, “By creating a surface that is rich in ’psychological’ clues, [Humbert]… finally resists and then openly mocks the interpretations of depth psychology.” (lviii)

Within the first chapter of the first section, Humbert addresses readers as jury members. “Ladies and gentleman of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs envied. Look at this tangle of thorns.” (9) Nabokov places Humbert in the position of defending his actions to the jury (or in this case the readers) to remind them that they are the ones to decide his fate.

If readers were to never read Lolita, then Humbert and the entire story wouldn’t exist. Another way to look at Humbert mentioning himself as “…under observation” (10) is that he is warning us to look upon his character and upcoming tales with a critical eye. (He is after all, a manipulative murder.)

After the players receive the necessary information, they are given their first challenge; Humbert’s explanation of his pedophilia. Readers can either choose to submerge themselves in the flowery and sappy explanation or catch onto his trickery and realize that his story parodies man’s urge to understand the misunderstood.

Before he delves into his tale, Humbert gives a hint of it’s fabricated: “I am going to pass around in a minute some lovely, glossy-blue picture-postcards.” (9) Shortly after, he describes his picture-perfect childhood and his love Annabel. With closer inspection, one can see that Humbert’s explanation of his pedophilia, is over dramatic and sympathized. “I grew a happy, healthy child in a bright world of illustrated books, clean sand, orange trees, friendly dogs, sea vistas and smiling faces.” (10) As a cherry to top the sundae of psychological analysis provided, Humbert simply tells readers of what spurred his pedophilia. “I am convinced however, that in a certain magic and fateful way Lolita began with Annabel. (13)

Throughout Lolita, Humbert uses his flowery words to play with reader’s expectations. At the very end of the novel, he apologizes for depriving Lolita of her childhood. “I loved you. I was a pentapod monster, but I loved you. I was despicable and turpid, and everything mais je t’aimais, je t’aimais!”# At first glance, his apology would appear sincere, but the “and everything” tagged onto the end insinuates something more sinister; Humbert is only apologizing to give into readers expectations and further deviate them from the real hidden plot.

Nabokov tries to help players by reminding them that Humbert isn’t to be trusted. He does so by directly speaking or having Humbert talk through the third person. “There was particularly one pink texture, sleazy, torn , with a faintly acrid odor in the seam. I wrapped in it Humbert’s huge engorges heart.”# Nabokov’s clues help pull readers back into the game if they find themselves slipping into Humbert’s persuasion. Often I would find myself entangled in Humbert’s story instead of playing the game.

As Carl Proffer mentions in his writing, “Keys to Lolita”, “There are many phrases and sentences which I am sure are illusions, but I have been unable to identify them. And there must be many I do not even recognize as being allusions.” The many allusions within Lolita add to Nabokov’s trickery. Proffer mentioned to have found sixty-three authors named or alluded to in the text.#

(I still need to expand on the second half of the research, so far I have gotten through the first half and tried to go further in depth with my statements.)