Last Section of Lolita

The last section of Lolita was a lot different from the other sections. First off, Lolita wasn't tangibly in the story at all, only her memory is present in Humbert's mind. Also, this section is very morbid and foreboding, which only makes sense after a man loses his love.

I looked up a few words for this section that helped my reading. The word putrefaction means state of decay. Palliative means something that relieves without curing. Finally, automaton means mechanical-like or robotic.

This section of reading started off with Humbert thinking back over his relationship with Lolita. His revelations aren't exactly pleasant for him. He comes to realize that "I was to her not a boy friend, not a glamour man, not a pal, not even a person at all, but just two eyes and a foot of engorged brawn" (page 283). He comes to realize that he mistreated her and was completely unfair to her. He does, however, still mention that he loved her on the bottom of page 284. He mentions being a monster, brutal, and despicable, but all in all he still loves her.

The reader gets the sense that Humbert is about to do something murderous early on in the book. From the beginning, he admits to being a murderer, and the reader knows about his ownership of a gun. The reader knows for sure it's going to happen soon when Humbert describes a planned out murder, then says, "I did better" (page 288).

Humbert soon after returns to the town where he originally met Lolita. He meets with Clare's Uncle and then takes pleasure in calling him a bad dentist to spite him. It seems like a silly way out frustrations, but one must remember Humbert was in quite the state of mind. The passage right after the dentist's visit shows Humbert is fully prepared to take his revenge on Clare Quilty. He describes preparing the gun. "Push the magazine into the butt. Press home until you hear or feel the magazine catch engage. Delightfully snug. Capacity: eight cartridges. Full Blued. Aching to be discharged" (page 292). I liked the way the phrase aching to be discharged is used. It really shows the pain and bitterness Humbert has been experiencing throughout the past few years, and how he's been ready to take out his anger.

On a sidenote, I feel like Humbert's revenge is more for himself than for the noble act of love. Obviously from an objective point of view the reader can see that Lolita is in a better place not than in Humbert's arms, but Humbert I think looks at Lolita's taking almost as the stealing of a prized possession he loves. Humbert always describes loving Lolita, but never wants to do what is in her best interest. He only does things for his own personal gain.

Either way, Humbert was sure to get his revenge. The book's climax ensues as Humbert confronts Clare in his own home. The whole situation was somewhat comical, with Clare being a sick old man whose mind has been ruined by drugs and Humbert stumbling around drunk. The two's conversations go nowhere for a while considering the two mens' states of mind. Finally, Humbert gets it across to Clare that he is going to kill him for kidnapping Lolita. Clare takes the whole situation rather lightly, then fighing ensues. I thought it was interesting how Humbert describes how the fighting "lacked the ox-stuffing fisticuffs, the flying furniture" (page 299). He describes the two men as "two large dummies...one of whom was utterly disorganized by a drug while the other was handicapped by a heart condition and too much gin." Whenever we think of fights in dramatic literature or movies, we normally think of a rousing battle between good and evil in grand style. Nabokov turns this on its head by showing the realistic struggle between two aging men who have both had better years behind them.

Humbert, though, finally kills Clare and is not afraid to admit it to the guests that arrive, although they assume he is just joking around. He finishes his narrative driving crazily through the streets, figuring that after he's broken one law, traffic laws don't really need to be followed either.

I liked the quote Humbert says on page 308, in which he says, "This is my story. I have reread it. It has bits of marrow sticking to it, and blood, and beautiful bright-green flies." I take this as Humbert telling the reader that he's told his life story-all of it; the good, the bad and the ugly. He hasn't glossed over the happenings in his life, he tells the reader that he's presented them as he's seen them.

I thought Nabokov's note at the end had a few interesting remarks. Nabokov had already written about Russia and Europe, so with Lolita he wanted to invent America. He didn't want to be anti-American, as some readers thought, but he wanted to show the good and the bad of America, its flaws and its qualities. Nabokov also mentions burning the draft of Lolita which lets the reader know that he truly struggled in writing the controversial story.