Lolita

Main Ideas

• The theme of forbidden love and moral boundaries: the novel explores the complex and contradictory feelings of the protagonist, Humbert Humbert, towards the twelve-year-old girl Lolita, raising questions about morality, ethics, and the law.
• Psychological analysis: the book delves deeply into the psychology of the characters, especially Humbert, revealing his internal conflicts, self-justifications, and manipulations.
• Illusion and reality: Nabokov plays with the reader's perception, creating a multi-layered text where the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred.
• The theme of power and control: the novel examines the dynamics of power in the relationship between Humbert and Lolita, showing how an adult uses his power to manipulate and control a child.
• Cultural and social critiques: through the characters and their interactions, Nabokov critiques 1950s American society, its moral values, and hypocrisy.
• Literary allusions and intertextuality: the novel is rich with references to classical literature, mythology, and art, adding depth and complexity to the text.