Lolita goes on the road

Lolita and Humbert hit the road for this next section of reading, traveling all across the United States for their travels. I looked up a good many words in this section of reading, but I'll just show the first three that I looked up. The word propensity means natural inclination or tendency. Genteel means suited to polite society. Finally, congenial means agreeable or suitable.

This section of reading starts with Humbert and Lolita embarking on a journey across America. They usually stay at cheap motels and cabins to save money and remain inconspicuous. Throughout their travels, Humbert begins to notice that Lolita was, well, acting her age. "Lolita, when she chose, could be a most exasperating brat. I was not really quite prepared for her fits of disorganized boredom, intense and vehement griping, her sprawling, droopy, dopey-eyed style..." (page 148). This annoyance by Humbert seemed interesting to me. Humbert seems almost surprised by her childish ways. I guess he wants her to act like an adult because she is his romantic interest, but the fact remains that she is only twelve years old.

She becomes annoyed with Humbert, but Humbert explains that she's stuck with him. He says, "So I go to jail. Okay. I go to jail. But what happens to you, my orphan?...You become the ward of the Department of Public Welfare" (page 150). For Lolita, this must seem like a bleak situation. At only twelve years old, she has to cope with the fact that she is forced to remain with Humbert as long as Humbert feels like keeping her.

Humbert then spends a while talking about the places they travel. Perhaps he wants to describe the extensive journey they go on, or perhaps he just enjoys reminiscing on the travels. While describing the travels, Humbert once again appeals to the reader to humanize himself. He says, "I itemize these sunny nothings mainly to prove to my judges that I did everything in my power to give my Lolita a really good time" (page 162).

I thought one disturbing when Humbert described how he refused to give Lolita her coffee until she performed her "morning duty" which I can only assume has sexual connotations. This would have to mean that sex became a ritual daily for Humbert and Lolita, and I can only imagine that the more it happened, the more dehumanized Lolita became. Also, Humbert once again mentions perhaps the source of his pedophilia, mentioning his unfulfilled romance with Annabell at the seaside. He tries to imitate the seaside romance with Lolita, as well.

It seems that Humbert's obsession for nymphets is not going to stop at Lolita, either. Perhaps most disturbing was Humbert's thoughts on getting Lolita pregnant and having her birth a daughter that Humbert could also have relations with. Humbert's plans become more and more twisted as the book goes along. At first, he seems shy with Lolita, then he gets to her through her mother. And now, finally, he thinks about using her to get to another young girl in the future. The more you look into Humbert's mind, the more you realize how deeply disturbed he is and how obsessed he is for nymphets.