60 pages • 2 hours read
Vladimir NabokovLolita
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1955A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
In what genre should Lolita be categorized and why?
How much does the role of 1950s America in the 1950s influence how you read the novel?
Humbert ascribes a lot of the actions in the book to “McFate.” What is McFate, and what role does it actually play in Humbert’s story?
Why does Nabokov include the Foreword by John Ray, Jr., Ph.D.? Does that Foreword influence your understanding of the rest of the novel?
Humbert Humbert has a distinct voice and perspective. How does his voice impact the reader’s interpretation of the story? How would the story change if it were presented from Lolita’s view? Quilty’s?
Humbert repeatedly mocks psychiatrists while presenting a story full of psychological themes and explanations. Which is more genuine: his mockery of psychiatry or his use of psychological terminology?
What role does the road play in Lolita? How is the novel similar to or different from other novels that take place on the?
Nabokov makes use of doubling in Lolita. What are some examples of doubles, and why are they there? What is the purpose of using so many doubles?
Does Lolita have a clear moral message? If so, what is it? If it does not, what is Nabokov trying to say through the book?
Delores Haze goes by many names in the text: Dolly, Lo, and of course Lolita. What significance do the names carry? Which one do you think she would use to tell her own story if she could?
Related Titles
By Vladimir Nabokov
