HtRLLaP PAPER Lolita is Vladimir Nabokovs first English novel, published in 1955.

Humbert Humbert the protagonist narrates his love affair with Dolores Haze from his prison. A 13-year-old Humbert falls in love with Annabel, his first love; however the sudden death of her leaves him haunted. Humbert believes Annabel sparked his obsession for nymphets- young girls. Humbert follows the career as an English professor and carries a marriage that eventually fails. Through circumstances, Humbert comes to America to room with widow Charlotte Haze. He becomes obsessed with her daughter Dolores Haze (also known as Lolita), who reminds him of Annabel. Humbert constantly flirts with Lolita and through a diary; he keeps his pedophilic actions a secret. When Lolita is sent to summer camp, Charlotte confesses her love for Humbert through a letter and he decides to marry Charlotte in order to stay close to Lolita. When Charlotte finds his diary of secret pedophilic desire, she confronts him and Humbert denies every bit of it. However, as she leaves the house to run away with Lolita, a car hits her and she dies instantly. Humbert picks up Lolita from her camp and as they get to the motel, Lolita is informed about her mothers death. Lolita then seduces Humbert. For the next few months, they travel around the country while a strange man takes follows them. They settle down and Lolita is enrolled in a school. Humbert restricts Lolita to socialize with boys or take part in any activities. He believes she conspired against him with a man and takes her away to another road trip. Lolita falls ill and is taken to the hospital. When Humbert comes back to get her, the nurse informs him that Lolitas uncle picked her up. For 2 years Humbert searches for Lolita but finally gives up. He half-heartedly marries Rita, an adult. But then he receives a note from Lolita who is marries, poor and pregnant asking for some money. When they meet, Lolita confesses that Clare Quilty, a play writer who has been in

her presence since the beginning had taken her from the hospital. Even though Lolita refuses to live with Humbert, he leaves $4000 for her and leaves. Humbert searches for Quilty and kills him off after explaining why he must die. Humbert is then arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road. On his closing note, he wishes Lolita to be well and stay faithful to her husband Dick. Humbert passes away after writing his manuscript from coronary thrombosis while Lolita dies giving birth to a stillborn child. The main themes of Lolita are alienation and exploitation of innocent girls. Humbert and Lolita are exiled from their society. Humbert is in exile when he comes from Europe to America while Lolita is exiled when she is forced to live with Humbert. Their exile transforms them as they turn disconnected from society and dont recognize their moral wrongdoings. Their final exile is when Lolita is married to Dick and her life is in exile while Humbert is in exile in prison. Throughout Lolita both the characters have always been in exile from theirselves for they could never come back to their original places in the world. Their exile was permanent. Lolita is a tragedy for one can never be happy in a relationship that is morally incorrect. Lolita and Humbert shared a relationship that could never be accepted by others back then and now. Their happiness only lasted a short time, because each one knew he or she would never truly last together. Deep down, Humbert knew his actions were wrong, that he has deprived Lolita off her childhood happiness. And Lolita knew she never loved Humbert, she manipulated him to get what she wanted. Lolita is significant to literature because it is unique, tackles real life situation and is insightful. It is unique for its time because it addresses issues of child abuse and is explicit for that era of time. Lolita became a very controversial novel because the books were seized in United Kingdom while banned in France for being overly erotic and pornographic. It is still

controversial because of its issue of child abuse and many authors have debated over weather Lolita was the seducer or Humbert. Lolita is representative of its time because it represents society of women and kids. Children were innocent and vulnerable, easy to manipulate. But it also shows how fast children grow up, their desire to become like grown ups and their rising curiosity about sex. Vladimir Nabokov uses first person point of view while the narrator draws on his memoirs in fragments. The writing style conveys sympathy from the readers as well as irony that develops it into a sophisticated prose style. Lolita fits the critical lens of psychoanalysis and cultural studies. The lack of a psychologist and counseling only helps Humbert advance his incest, pedophilic actions. The constant comments of American and European culture are also marked in the novel. Humbert constantly criticizes the American women for falling so easily in love with Humbert for his looks. Humbert, a European mocks American culture and their transparency. Lolita Fashion is a rising street fashion in Japan, which started gaining popularity in the 1980s. It is based on Victorian clothing and incorporates the idea of Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita. It does not however, incorporate a sexual idea but a more elegant and cute fashion sense. The idea is to have an hour class shaped puffy dress while looking youthful and Barbie like. Nevertheless, there are rules into what kind of clothing qualifies to be a Lolita fashion and it is rather narrow. Lolita fashion also has many subculture groups such as- Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita, Punk Lolita and Classic Lolita. There is also Lolita lifestyle, where the people who dress in Lolita fashion surround themselves with beauty and elegancy. Someone living in a Lolita lifestyle, live like princesses, surrounding themselves only with things of beauty and takes part in proper feminine activities like sewing, baking and such.

Lolita Fashion also started as a response to the medias rising popularity of Lolicon. An art that blends the body and characteristics of a child while incorporating erotic undertones. Many animations have used the style of a Lolicon, including the popular Pokmon! Lolita Fashion was begun to change the term Lolita as a positive feministic image.