"Bullseye"

Late last night, my roommate introduced me to the greatest invention ever: a free (probably illegal site) where every episode of Law & Order: SVU can be watched. My heart was filled with joy. As I randomly picked a season to start watching (Season 12), two episodes in I came across the episode Bullseye. Interestingly, the episode revolved around child predators and two cases of rape of two young girls. In an interrogation scene, Detective Benson or Stabler (I can't remember) sarcastically referenced a suspect's reading choice to that of Lolita due to the fact of the suspect violating his status as a registered sex offender. Oh, how my heart lit up with excitement and awe (crazy, right?!) just at the fact the book was referenced.

Spoiler Alert: In the last scene of the episode, the real predator who has committed the rapes is none other than the leader of the anti-sex offender lynch mob.

The dialogue between the guy and The Detectives is an award filling moment. He proceeds to explain how he tried to fight his urges for young girls but he couldn't help it. "I'm SICK," he proclaims. In this moment I am reminded of Humbert Humbert's plea for sympathy and understanding as he tells the reader why he prefers the flesh of young girls. Both Humbert and the character from SVU's pleas for understanding and acceptance creates an overlapping parallel for me as a reader. Humbert and the SVU character attempt to subdue their urges by living a normal life but they both fall. Their facades as respectable men is foiled and revealed to be nothing more than a shameful lie. If you have time, I suggest watching the episode. The idea of the SVU character viewing pedophilia as a sickness and Humbert viewing it as a "natural form of love" is what separates the two.

Find a Woman Your Own Age Humbert!!!

After reading Part 1, I'm beginning to become aggravated at the fact that Humbert is not interested in woman his own age. He spends majority, if not all, of Part 1, speaking to how successful he is and all of his academic pursuits. It's not that he can't get a woman his age, its the chase and unexpectedness of charming a young girl that "sparks his fire!" 

After last class's discussion of the Annabel and Humbert sexual encounter on the beach, I began to doubt the details of Humbert's past experiences with her (annabel). His proof of the incident occurring is not any real evidence worth consideration. More of an illusion or fantasy if you ask me. His uses the Annabel situation almost to cause the audience to have a sympathetic expression towards him. His joy with Annabel will never be fulfilled with Dolores, because he is not the young boy that he use to be. He is attempting to recreate experiences and emotions with Dolores that will never be mutually returned to him in the ways in which he is looking for. I'm interested to continue reading to see if he ever realizes this himself or admits it.  

The "Long Island Lolita"

Admittedly, my first impression starting to read Lolita was quite shallow. The only time I've ever heard the word "lolita" was in reference to Amy Fisher and the entire scandal surrounding her- the "Long Island Lolita." So unfortunately, my entire imagery of the story and the girl within it, I have envisioned as a young Amy Fisher. The narrator is Joey Buttafuoco- at least in my head. I hope as I continue to read the tale I will be able to create distance between the two and learn to appreciate Lolita for its own story. Until that point, I am left with these unforgettable (and horribly 'coffee-talk') characters in my brain.