"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth.
Lo. Lee. Ta."
Without context, this quote would most likely be regarded as a heartfelt quote about a relationship. With context, however, this quote takes on a deeper meaning. When the reader learns that the person saying this quote is a grown man, and the light of his life he speaks of is his 12 year old stepdaughter.
Simply put, Lolita is a novel about a pedophile. It is a brilliantly written novel about a pedophile, but it is still about a pedophile. No matter how Humbert Humbert tries to victimize himself, it is important for the reader to look past that and remember that Lolita is the victim in the novel. When the reader falls for Humbert's trap, they get into what author Meenakshi Gigi Durham has referred to as The Lolita Effect.
As said before, Lolita is a brilliantly written novel. However, it should
not be written by anyone who is easily convinced of anything. This
novel definitely has contributed to the sexualization of teenage girls
and children. Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation seems to give in to Humbert's narration.
Not only does Kubrick attempt to normalize pedophilia by giving Humbert a reason to find
Lolita attractive, but he also makes it seem like their sexual relationship is consensual
rather than rape.
Someone who has experienced any form of sexual harassment should also approach this book with caution.
Overall, Lolita is a great novel, and it's convincing writing style has proved to be both a blessing and a curse in pop culture.
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