ipl-logo

How Does Hummbert Manipulate The Character Of Lolita

1019 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Characters of dostoevsky

Ryan Carney
Elena Sommers
Dangerous Text
10/22/15

Human beings have an unachievable thirst for power and will use anything and everything, to exploit someone else for their benefit. We see how Humbert controls Lolita for the beginning of their relationship but eventually finds himself being controlled by Lolita’s cunning ways to manipulate his sexual desires.
The novel introduces us to our narrator and main character Humbert Humbert, a man with the looks and the intelligence of being a teacher. Yet, we find out that he is a deeply sexually disturbed man, longing for young, prepubescent girls that he calls nymphets. His pedophilia is blatant and is massively concerned about young girls, but mostly he only cares for Lolita. The reason he has this attachment for Lolita is that his first true love, Annabel, unfortunately passed causing psychological damage that is later relevant in his life. Humbert says, "I see Annabel in such general terms as, 'honey colored skin,' 'thin arms,' 'brown bobbed hair,' 'long lashes,' …show more content…

The reader tends to think that Humbert is a harsh pervert because his language tends to lead us to believe he is. Yet, Humbert can be quite cunning, especially when it comes to his sexual encounters with Lolita. On his first try at her, he gives her sleeping pills hoping that she will fall asleep, therefore allowing him to “feel” her as he pleases. But, this sadly for him does not go as planned. This is when Humbert thinks he has the fragile situation under control. Humbert describes his plans, saying, “I would let myself into that "342" and find my nymphet, my beauty and bride, imprisoned in her crystal sleep" (123). He fiendishly describes her and what he will do but Humbert is not an expert at developing plans. The pills didn't even work, making matters worse for him; she didn't even stay asleep long enough for him to lay a finger on

Show More
Related
697 Words | 3 Pages

Imprisoned Because of Beauty Esperanza is an outgoing and courageous young girl who develops in many ways throughout the book, The House on Mango Street. She experiences a variety of life changing moments that have shifted her view on not only herself, but her community as well. Throughout the book, Esperanza comes in contact with an assortment of different females, all of which have different experiences in life. Those experiences have turned them into unique individuals. These women with different pasts demonstrate what it was like to be a girl in Esperanza’s town.

Read More
714 Words | 3 Pages

In this novel some men are betrayed worse than others, some are dangerous to the girls. “Yolanda makes out an undertow of men's voices. Quickly she gets in

Read More
540 Words | 3 Pages

Edmond Rostand’s comedic play Cyrano de Bergerac recounts the tragic heartbreak of an unsightly French poet as he aids his handsome but dull cohort Christian in capturing the heart of the beautiful Roxane. Cyrano de Bergerac, a colossal-nosed man with a masterful talent for wielding both words and sword, battles self-doubt and insecurity as he contends with his own feelings of love for Roxane. Throughout the play, Rostand reveals a stark polarity between Cyrano and Christian, illuminating the gaping disparity between the characters’ appearance and intellect while portraying the men as foils for each other. From the play’s beginning, Rostand’s audience becomes keenly aware of the divergence between Cyrano’s intellectual substance and Christian’s physical attributes. While Cuigy pronounces Christian “a charming head,” the character describes himself as “...far from bright” (Rostand 1.4-5).

Read More
616 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout this book there are countless examples of the common gender issue in today’s society exploited. Today it is widely believed of equality in rights for all people regardless of heritage, race and gender. A majority of people in the world are in the support of female lead characters and an increase in the books regarding females. As time continues literature has introduced female leads with problems outside the typical house or friend issues. The only female characters introduced in the book with at least one quote is

Read More
834 Words | 4 Pages

2 - The reader is given further understanding into the character of Jake upon his back completion of a young lady, Mariana. He trusts that this surprising experience willin wrinkle the shot of satisfying his sexual needs. This is shown through the sexual symbolism utilized by Gilb. In section 12, Gilb depicts Jake as "stroking the wide dimpled" in the car and incorporates Jake 's considerations about cars being "so delicate they may supplant waterbeds." The words overnight boardinghouse certainly suggests sex.

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

There will always be a point in someone's life when they will meet up with a conflict that could lead to difficult decisions that could change their life forever. In the play, Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano, a brave man with an amazing personality, but with ugly nose he had to make the decision to help Roxane be with the one she loves the most. Even though Cyrano loves Roxane, and she does not see that he has feelings for her, Cyrano is committed to make her happy in any way and is willing to do anything to make her happy, even if the goes against his own happiness. In the last act of the play, Cyrano’s final words reveal how willing he is to make Roxane happy.

Read More
1023 Words | 5 Pages

The story of Icarus is a well known Greek myth that depicts the dangers of untamed hubris. Within the myth, Icarus, foolishly ignores his father’s warnings on the usage of his wax wings. With reckless abandon, he flies too close to the sun, his wings melt, and the result is him tragically falling to his death. The story is a simple enough, but remains a timeless allegory remembered centuries later. Nathaniel Hawthorne, if nothing else, was a master of the art of allegory.

Read More
756 Words | 4 Pages

In the story of “The Lady with the Dog”, the character Gurov’ character changes because of the events that occur in the story. At the beginning of the story, Gurov seems heartless, he does not respect the people around him including his wife, “he has begun being unfaithful to her long ago -- had been unfaithful to her often, and, probably on that account, almost always spoke ill of women, and when they were talked about in his presence, used to call them "the lower race” (172). He also does not feel anything toward women and thinks “their beauty aroused hatred in him and the lace on their linen reminded him of scales” (175). Love could be a reflex action. People find themselves victim of it; frequently in the worst place, time and circumstances

Read More
1766 Words | 8 Pages

As one of the most beautiful and talented women in her religious home, Miranda receives this desire in the form of lessons on noble conversations and visits from several male suitors accompanied by a plethora of gifts including “presents, balls, serenades, and billets” (Behn 32). Her narcissistic need for attention leads her to entertain many suitors and accept their gifts in a manner that Behn describes as fickle. Miranda’s fickleness is characterized as a byproduct of a love affliction that makes her naturally amorous and gives “quality alone…the power to attack her entirely” (Behn 33). The critical state that she is in after losing both of her parents and her narcissism elevates her desires for attention, which can be attributed as the cause of her fickleness. Miranda also entertains many suitors because her time in the religious home is limited.

Read More
523 Words | 3 Pages

Control can get out of hand when given to one single human being and can create major egregious problems to others. An infamous example is how Adolf Hitler attempted and almost succeeded to eliminate the entire Jewish population because he believed they were an inferior race. In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the characters constantly try to control each other for the sake of who they love, to gain control over people’s lives, as well as the sole idea of revenge. A vital point in, A Midsummer Night's Dream is using control along with manipulation to gain love.

Read More
749 Words | 3 Pages

Syra Aponte Professor French ENC II 22 October 2015 Women’s Desire for the Perfect Man Looks are not all of what women want because that is only skin deep. For women, they look for certain traits that make up the perfect apple to their eyes. There are many qualities that women would want in a man that would make a perfect male romantic partner. There are four qualities that are most desired which are also shown through the perspective of the child in Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”; through the prospective of the abused wife in Jo Carson’s “I Cannot Remember All the Times”; and through the prospective of the child in Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays”. The male figure’s traits, which women want in a man, are portrayed though quotes

Read More
788 Words | 4 Pages

Having a different sexuality than the one expected of you, doesn’t change who you are as a person. Yes it might change how people see, or treat you, but it should never cause you to hate you uniqueness. You are who you are and nothing should ever come between you happiness even if others can’t accept it for what it is. In “Drowning in Fire” by Craig Womack, the author talks about homosexuality with the help of his central main characters that happens to be Native American.

Read More
3192 Words | 13 Pages

This novel follows the life of a recent college graduate, Marian MacAlpin, through her career and emotional maturation in a somewhat unnatural, if not threatening world. The queer concept of this world is branded by a spectrum of moral viewpoints of gender politics that manifest themselves and surround Marian. The political and cultural values and practices of a male dominated and sex driven society depicted in the novel are so strong that they seem to devour Marian physically and emotionally. She rebels against this cannibalistic, patriarchal society through a comestible mode and the end, reclaims her identity crisis by restoring her relationship with

Read More
1473 Words | 6 Pages

She likes the idea that Leon is an ambitious young man, who loves reading novels and talking about arts. Leon is even going to study in Paris, which has always been Emma’s dream that Charles has never been able to satisfy. While Emma uses Leon to imagine what her life without Charles would have been, Leon, who is physically attracted to her, uses banal romanticism to seduce her and to have a sexual affair. While Emma is fascinated by Leon’s romanticism, Flaubert looks at Leon as a person able to talk only of banal cliché.

Read More
2066 Words | 9 Pages

There are elements of realism intricately woven within the fabric of the novel. Its depiction of sexuality is a positive portrayal of lesbian love, both sexual and non-sexual love. While Celie compares male sex organs to frogs, Sofia is tired of Harpo’s mechanical lovemaking. On the other hand, Celie’s act of lovemaking with Shug is devoid of any guilt and is liberating. Further, it is a powerful ‘womanist’ text showing productive and strong bonds between women characters and their work culture which together combat the elephantine patriarchal exploitation.

Read More

More about How Does Hummbert Manipulate The Character Of Lolita

Related Topics

Open Document