Presentation is Key!

Theme: Characters as authors: Humbert Humbert, Quilty, Lolita 

Humbert Humbert, as an author, is strategic in the presentation of key interactions and dialogue with Lolita. As jury members (audience), HH leads us to see the story from his perspective by using language and knowledge on his side. His regard to withhold specific details of events throughout the story ultimately works in his favor by leaving the jury to have to rely on their own opinions. At the end of Part 1, he focuses the jury's attention on Lolita and her awareness of the increasing inappropriate relationship occurring between him. His presentation of her as a seductress and tease creates speculation of just how big she plays her role in the relationship with Humbert. She doesn't maintain her innocence and almost spins the story to look as though she seduced Humbert against his will as opposed to vice versa.

The Camp scene: Humbert brings to the attention of the reader Lolita's speech of referring to him as "dad" through conversations about the condition of her mother. Their flirtatious relationship picks up exactly where it left off before Lolita left for camp. Lolita introduces their familiar game of "cat-and-mouse" between herself and Humbert, but at this point she appears to play the role of the mouse. In Humbert's narrative, he creates an image of Lolita as if she is well aware of Humbert's "attraction" to her and never ceases to play on that. she uses every opportunity to flaunt herself to Humbert, leaving her to be desired even more than before she was aware. As a part of the jury, Humbert uses his power as the author to portray Lolita as a manipulator who holds equal responsibility in the sexual acts they commit in the car and, ultimately later in the hotel room. He defers the jury's attention from himself as a manipulator and pedophile to painting the role of manipulator to Lolita.

The dialogue before the passionate kiss in the car is led by Lolita. Humbert paints her to be a young woman (not a little child) who uses her childlike (borderline bratty) persona to engage Humbert into creating the moment where they kiss. His use of language of Lolita "flowing into [his] arms" (pg 113) and "pressing her mouth to his" gives her the power of control in the situation. It's not him taking advantage of her, but more of her using her youth to seduce him...at least from Humbert's narrative the author. Lolita refers to Humbert as her "lover" and Humbert uses his role as author to portray to readers his response of "disapproval". Humbert appears to readers as a "deer caught in headlights" as his show of "disapproval" challenges the participation of his actions in the inappropriate relationship he encounters with Lolita. Humbert has continued to use deception as a key pawn in his scheme to ultimately end up with Lolita. His role as the author is just another part of his deception involving Lolita., only this time he is attempting to deceive the jury.

"The Enchanted Hunter" Scene: As Lolita and Humbert check into the hotel, Humbert engages in a performance of some sort when attempting to find a cot. His search for a room is met when "McFate" intercepts and creates an ideal situation for Humbert and Lolita's inappropriate relationship- no cots, only a double bed.  He indirectly emphasizes to the jury (as the author) that he did indeed looked for a cot and was not just looking to sleep together with Lolita. Moreover, he deceives the clerks by making it a point to somehow involve his wife into the conversation so they do not come to any conclusions of a possible inappropriate relationship between him and Lo. His deception towards the clerks highlights his power as the a customer and his deception towards the reader highlights his power to alter the perspective of his role against "McFate" when dealing with Lo.

He clarification to Lo that they must publicly engage in a "father-daughter" relationship role counters his ultimate scheme of ultimately making Lolita his in the long run. Its a small bump in the road, but Lolita's act of acknowledging that sharing a bed with Humbert while engaging in their inappropriate relationship is "incest" (pg 119) further supports Humbert's author portrayal of Lo as "aware" and responsible for her actions (as mentioned in the Camp Scene). Lo's suggestive dialogue, "Oh, I've been such a disgusting girl," doesn't help her case. There is a direct relationship between the perception of Humbert and Lolita's awareness of the inappropriateness of their relationship: the more Humbert (as an author) incorporates Lo's suggestive dialogue indicating her awareness, the less Humbert looks appears to the jury as totally responsible and as a manipulator of Lo. As of this point in the story, Lo still appears to play the role of the "cat" in the "game", but later toward the end of part 1, the roles will switch.

Most importantly, the scene where Lo assumes control and engages in her first sexual encounter with Humbert is completely ambiguous to the jury. Humbert, as the author, is smart and strategic in not giving away the exact details of the encounter in order to avoid possibly incriminating himself. His amount of participation in the event is unclear but Humbert paints Lo as being the "aggressor" in the encounter. Her dialogue remains suggestive and Humbert even pokes fun at the jury by trying to play down the situation and his role in it by reintroducing the fact that Lo is a young girl with a different idea of what "sex" is. This is a tactic that leads the jury to play down the actions of the encounter because the exact details are not accounted for. You are not sure if there was actual penetration or simple touching. The jury is left to rely on personal opinion which could be the deciding factor in deciding the fate of Humbert as guilty or innocent. As the author, Humbert has control over the language and perception of the events of the story. His decision to leave out the details works out in his favor as a character and participant in the relationship, while he is still about to show to readers that he is somehow engaging in a sexual relationship with Lo (even though we aren't sure in what way). Its almost as though he and Lo have reversed roles and he is the young child being taking advantage of and she is the adult who is the manipulator.


Continued Journey: After the first sexual encounter between Lo and Humbert at the hotel, Lo begins to threaten Humbert with accusations of "rape" and coming forth to the police. She abuses her power as the "aggressor" and in this attempt to increase her power or manipulation of Humbert, she is met with failure as she discovers her mother is dead and Humbert is her only parental figure. Right at this moment, there is a power shift where Humbert resumes his role as the "cat" and Lolita is the "mouse". As she starts to becoming depressed, she clings to Humbert as a way for support and comfort. She has lost her power and Humbert is aware of this. Lo has no escape so Humbert. Her suggestive threats of rape towards Humbert reveals she is aware that she is engaging in an appropriate manner with Humbert the entire time. She has lost her credibility as a young innocent girl. He continues to portray Lo as the manipulator, as he mentions to the jury her past relationships of lovers and how he is not her first. He takes the blame off of himself and theoretically throws it onto Lo, by saying she gave away her innocence before he became involved. As the author, he continues to build his case strong by separating himself from being labeled just as a pedophile or the "aggressor".