Media Influences: Audio
Throughout the novel Humbert Humbert expresses his interest in the child-like features of his "nymphets" and one of these things was their innocence. His "nymphets" range between 9-13 years of age which shows that he's only attracted to child-like features. 1948
Humbert Humbert often blames Lolita for his actions, he believes that she knows exactly what is going on between them. H.H believes that she teases him and leads him on but ultimately would be wrong if he acts on the feelings he has for her. H.H thinks that "It Isn't Fair" for Lolita to lead him on without him being able to act upon her actions. 1950.
H.H tries to give himself child-like comparisons to make it seem alright for him to be in love with Lolita. He wants to avoid the truth which is that he's too old for her and ultimately what he is doing is wrong. What he does instead is make it seem to readers that him and Lolita are in a mutual relationship. 1956.
Media Influences: Visual
This advertisement suggests that the main goal for the woman was to have fresh breath to get the man she wants. This is similar to how H.H suggests that Lolita is flirting/teasing him. He confuses his goal, which is to have Lolita, with Lolita's actions. He believes that she wants him and that she is trying to get him as much as the woman in this comic strip. 1948.
Humbert was an abusive husband to his first wife. He often had flashbacks of how he would treat her if she was in the same situations that he had with Charlotte. This coffee ad sort of normalizes domestic abuse in the household and that's how Humbert seems to feel also. 1950's.
|
Although Humbert weren't interested in teens, I believe Nabokov probably used media like this to when writing Lolita. She probably was much into popular culture at the time so drawing images from pop culture could help with Humbert's view of Lolita. 1950's.
|
Media Influences: News
Nabokov could have been very influenced by this story. Humbert Humbert was much like Frank LaSalle. He abducted Lolita against her will and tried to keep it well hidden for as long as he could. The story of Florence Sally Horner and Lolita are very similar and I think Nabokov was able to draw inspiration off of this story to get inside the mind of his character Humbert Humbert.
To get away from H.H, Lolita worked with Quilty and in order to remain in control of Lolita, H.H had to get rid of Quilty. As this ad suggests, this was the perfect choice of weapon to get rid of a "creep". Humbert viewed Quilty as his competition and in order to ensure that Lolita would be his, he killed Quilty.
