Lolita,Lolita, Lo-lee-ta Lo-lee-ta andand

American American

BeautyBeauty

Across Medium and Culture

The Story

• Troubled writer, Humbert, goes to America• Falls in love with a pubescent girl - Lolita• Marries girl’s mother to get close to Lolita. • Mother dies, Humbert and Lolita embark on romance filled

road trip• Between protagonist they are lovers, for world they are father-

daughter.• Eventually Lolita, with the help of another older lover, Quilty,

runs away and later marries a peer.• Humbert learns of Quilty’s relationship and murders

him.

Main Points Transformation from

literary to visual medium in Lolita deals with changing voice and perspective, and film censorship

• Implications of transformation from high to pop culture

Establishing a Foundation Opening credits play

to image of Humbert painting girl’s toenails.

Establishes Humbert’s fascination with and reverence of young girls

Erotic

Visual Substitution for Background

In novel:Humbert is obsessed with his first sexual encounter at age of twelve.In Europe, he has a history with pubescent girls.Theory of Nymphets: “Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human but nymphic (that is demoniac)”Erotic

In movie:Toenail scene hints at fascination with young girls.Not showing specific girl creates a general characteristic.

Eternal Recurrence: beginning at the end• Movie begins with

Humbert killing Quilty over Lolita

• Changes dramatic tension throughout film

• Humbert’s insanity in opening scene compensates for lack of explicit pedophilia– Gives same shocking

effect• Giver characterization of

spontaneity and impulsive.

Explicit Sex and Censorship• Characters “get what they

deserve” in movie• Movie is vague but nuanced to

allow extrapolation of explicitly stated elements in book especially regarding Humbert’s psyche.

• Uses double-entendres• “A game I learned at camp”

Lolita’s Lolita’s CharacterizationCharacterization

• Kubrick’s Lolita is older, bigger and more developed

• Child aspect of character is lost to make room for sexuality – less of a nymph more of a sex kitten.

• Makes Humbert more sympathetic character. Movie does not have Humbert’s internal justifications.

American Roadtrip• In novel, year long across

America roadtrip. – “I did my best for hours

on end to give her the impression of ‘going places,’ of rolling onto some definite destination, to some unusual delight.”

• In movie, year trip reduced to view of their rear-windshield. - Suggests not going anywhere at all. • Reality is impression and images

• Lester BurnhamLester Burnham anagram of “anagram of “Humbert Humbert LearnsLearns””– Nod to Nabokov’s word play (i.e. Nod to Nabokov’s word play (i.e.

Vivian Darkbloom anagram of Vivian Darkbloom anagram of Vladimir Nabokov)Vladimir Nabokov)

• BothBoth dissatisfied with reality of dissatisfied with reality of lifelife

and seekand seek etherealethereal substitute/imitation or substitute/imitation or

escape from it.escape from it.• The escapeThe escape is manifested in is manifested in

Angela/LolitaAngela/Lolita

Symbols Common

Symbols Rose

Feminine Mystique The Couch and Portraits

Maintaining state of American perfection

“Marvelous skin – oh, marvelous: tender and tanned, not the least blemish”(41)

Angela Hayes and

Lolita Haze• Visually very similar in both

films • Humbert perceives ‘sex-

kitten’ Lolita as innocent while Lester perceives the virgin Angela as sexually experienced. Both men fall in love with a fallacy.

• In American culture, image over substance

Transformation from Transformation from Psychological to Psychological to Cultural CommentaryCultural Commentary Characters in American Beauty are more Characters in American Beauty are more

“generic Americans” whereas in Lolita the “generic Americans” whereas in Lolita the characters are extreme distortions of the characters are extreme distortions of the “generic American”“generic American”

Lolita uses story of pedophilia to explore Lolita uses story of pedophilia to explore Humbert’s psyche while indirectly Humbert’s psyche while indirectly commenting on pitfalls of a consumer society commenting on pitfalls of a consumer society while American Beauty uses pedophilia to while American Beauty uses pedophilia to comment on an emptiness in image driven comment on an emptiness in image driven suburban society.suburban society.

OthelloOthello andand LolitaLolita Background to Cannon/Storm and Gun Background to Cannon/Storm and Gun

at Beginningat Beginning– DramaticDramatic

Background replaced by Background replaced by love-duet/toenail.love-duet/toenail.

Modern-day interpretation moves Modern-day interpretation moves emphasis from psychological and emphasis from psychological and character development to culturalcharacter development to cultural– ““O” and “American Beauty”O” and “American Beauty”

A Progression from A Progression from Psychological to SocialPsychological to Social

As art moves from a literary to visual As art moves from a literary to visual medium expository elements are medium expository elements are transformed.transformed.

As high art moves to contemporary culture, As high art moves to contemporary culture, psychological character development is psychological character development is supplanted by cultural criticism. supplanted by cultural criticism.