Whether it be the long established bible for favoritism of gender or contemporary Thirteen Reasons Why for its explicit illustration of suicide, books are constantly banned for one reason or another. Sometimes, however, censored literature proves to be the most insightful and most original. Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita has been subject to criticism and censorship since its first publication in 1955. Critics constantly degrade the novel as repulsive and an endorsement of pedophilia. Although Lolita was censored for its sexual and obscene content, the characterization of protagonist Humbert Humbert proves it to be just as appropriate as other literature.
Critics support Lolita’s censorship because they believe protagonist Humbert Humbert’s approval of pedophilia goes unnoticed, even though it is immoral. Critics regard Humbert as an unreliable narrator as he is writing from a jail cell with nothing to do but make excuses for himself. In this way, he paints Dolores Haze, the twelve-year old with whom Humbert is romantically and sexually involved with, as a predator and himself the victim of seduction. This degradation of an innocent child causes anger in critics because in the mindset of most Americans, an older man has more power and sexual drive than a twelve-year old girl. In his blaming of Dolores as the one who initiated sex between the two, Humbert is giving other pedophiles and child molesters a justification to blame innocent children for their evil. Mathew Bruccoli, when commenting on Humbert’s characterization, states, “The way in which Humbert portrays Lolita, for example, weakens her presence and therefore minimizes readers' response to his treatment of her” (1). Those in favor of censorship also present the argument of th...
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With its first publication, Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita was banned in the United Kingdom, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United States for its sexual and obscene content. Critics believed protagonist Humbert Humbert’s actions would be overlooked by readers due to both his wit and psychological outlook of his pedophilia. As a result, they feared, child molestation would be taken more lightly and come with more excuses. However, through an analyzation of Humbert’s character, any reader can see an exemplification of common themes such as nostalgia, consumerism, and guilt. These common themes were demonstrated in literature such as The Great Gatsby and Macbeth, both of which were published before Lolita. All in all, adult and even teenage readers should be able to look past erotic imagery to focus on the art of the actual novel.
Reading Chapter 11, “Genders and Sexualities,” written by Carrie Hintz was to construct and enact alternatives for these two traditional categories. Data is clearly indicated that sexual material is some of the most controversial content in literature. Children’s literature that is involved with adolescent’s childhood are key battlegrounds for attitudes about gender and sexuality. The significance of gender and sexuality in children’s literature is the persistent investment in what is perceived to be the innocence of children. Innocence is defined in part by children’s enforced ignorance of sexual matters. According to James Kincaid, “Youth and innocence are two of the most eroticized constructions of the past two centuries. Innocence was that
In conclusion, Blume’s piece “Censorship: A Personal View” was used to debate and inform the hot button issue back then of censorship in young teens literature. She comprised personal experience when handling censorship in childhood and adult life. Her personal experience alone could not hold the article together but by listing others that have lost their jobs or been suspended adds extra credibility to let the readers know how censors and censorship can effect an author’s everyday right of freedom of speech.
The idea of enlightenment and the feeling of liberation seem unattainable most of the time. However, once you discover a gateway, such as literature or meditation, it becomes easier to reach your goals of becoming open-minded. Azar Nafisi’s “Selection from Reading Lolita in Tehran” describes the struggles she and her students face and how they use literature to escape from their atrocious life. Similarly, “Wisdom” by Robert Thurman explores the idea of reaching a nirvana-like state where people become aware of their surroundings and the nature of themselves. Nafisi and Thurman state that once people have attained the knowledge to reach an utopian, nirvana like state and have unmasked themselves from a pseudo-self mask put on for society, they must share their knowledge with others. Both Nafisi and Thurman propose that in order to act out selflessly and become an honest, true self, an individual needs bravery and courage to escape from their comfort zone and reach a state of compassion.
teaches the reader that if we do not be wary of the censorship that goes on in one’s society, then
Lolita, by Vladamir Nabokov is a controversial book that elaborately represents and forces the reader to deal with a pedophiles obsession with his 12-year-old stepdaughter. As the reader finishes reading Lolita, he must establish a meaning for the novel which hinges heavily upon whether or not he should forgive Humbert for his rape of Lolita and for stealing her childhood away from her. This rape is legally referred to as a statutory rape because Humbert is having sex with Lolita who is under the age of consent. Humbert also figuratively rapes Lolita of her childhood and a normal teenage life. This decision to forgive Humbert will rely upon Humbert's words as he realizes what he has done to Lolita. In order for the reader to be able to forgive Humbert he must determine if Humbert is truly sorry for his actions.
...ror of Pecola’s first sexual experience: her father rapes her), and a difficult marriage situation (caused by his own drunkenness). The “bads” certainly outweigh the “goods” in his situation. Thus, the reader ought not to feel sympathy for Cholly. But, Morrison presents information about Cholly in such a way that mandates sympathy from her reader. This depiction of Cholly as a man of freedom and the victim of awful happenings is wrong because it evokes sympathy for a man who does not deserve it. He deserves the reader’s hate, but Morrison prevents Cholly covered with a blanket of undeserved, inescapable sympathy. Morrison creates undeserved sympathy from the reader using language and her depiction of Cholly acting within the bounds of his character. This ultimately generates a reader who becomes soft on crime and led by emotions manipulated by the authority of text.
Cultures throughout the world encompass a diverse array of lifestyles by which societies are led by. These cultures, in a typical sense, are created by the subset of a population that follows a particular set of morals and ideals. An individual’s own identity, as a result, is dependent on many varying factors of their lifestyle in these culturally regulated regions. In the stories, “Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran,” by Azar Nafisi, and “The Naked Citadel,” by Susan Faludi, the authors depict the impact made on an individual’s identity by male-dominated communities prejudiced against women. The discriminations described in these stories contribute to the creation of cultures that oppose the idea of seeing women as equals to men. Hence,
...s of Lolita and Humbert to show the isolation and loneliness they feel, and to show just how different and immoral the situation is. By stressing the dissonance between one persona to the next, he portrays a view of his characters that is sad and shocking, for the public seen is also the reader; the unaware, innocent, “moral” group. By letting us into the different faces of Lolita and Humbert, Nabokov reveals the tragedy in the novel, and allows the reader to vividly feel what is morally right and wrong with Humbert, Lolita, and ourselves.
In conclusion, by incorporating such rich detail and full imagery through scholarly grammar and vocabulary, Humbert Humbert participates in the act of manipulating his audience through his clever use of wordplay, confrontation, and delusions in order to escape fault for his immoral acts against an innocent girl. Although he is writing a memoir, Humbert does not hold back when it comes to his choice of words. Through his beautiful writing and poetic prose, H.H. is successful in influencing the horror of the true events in Lolita – concluding that through art, beauty can be found even in the most tragic occurrences.
To Ban, Or Not To Ban “The books that the world calls immoral are books that show its own shame”. The final passage from The Picture of Dorian Gray by controversial author Oscar Wilde. This is a thought-provoking example of Wilde’s beliefs on censorship and self-realization. Wilde states that any book the world deems immoral, or inappropriate, reveals a shameful aspect of the world that people, and especially leaders, do not support or agree with, because it has the potential to spoil the righteous reputation they consider themselves to have. Censorship in this manner has occurred for decades, but barely any books should be censored to the point where they are banned.
Besides being the universally vital mechanism which maintains the survival of species or an engaging pastime that is tabooed in America, sex has become (and had always been) the stem of controversial social issues internationally. Traditionally, sex has been between man and woman only out of necessity of propagation, but so-called “abnormalities” such as premarital, extramarital, polygamous, and homosexual sex have further defined the confines of sexual behavior and its inextricable relationship with morality. As with literature, these ideals of sexual ethics and their religious foundations are unintentionally or intentionally maintained by story elements that revolve around such ideas, regardless of whether they are supported or subverted. Expectedly, both “The Bloody Chamber” and Oedipus Rex by Angela Carter and Sophocles, respectively, reflect the metanarrative of idealistic moral sex established by the patriarchy and depict the deterioration of character experienced by those who deviate from societal expectations. As
According to literary theories and the theories of Fredrich Nietzsche, human beings have an unquenchable urge for power and will use "ethics," and everything else, in order to increase their authority. In Nabokov's Lolita, we see how Humbert controls Lolita in the beginning stages of their relationship but eventually finds himself going mad because of her deceitful ways and the control she has over his sexual desires.
No book has ever disgusted me more than Lolita, and yet no book has ever engrossed me more deeply. Lolita is about a man who rapes his step-daughter. It was written more than 50 years ago and it continues to be surrounded by controversy. When I learned that I had to read Lolita for English class, I was appalled.
With his 1955 novel Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov invents a narrator by the name of Humbert Humbert who is both an exquisite wordsmith and an obsessive pedophile. The novel serves as the canvas upon which Humbert Humbert will paint a story of love, lust, and death for the reader. His confession is beautiful and worthy of artistic appreciation, so the fact that it centers on the subject of pedophilia leaves the reader conflicted by the close of the novel. Humbert Humbert frequently identifies himself as an artist and with his confession he hopes “to fix once for all the perilous magic of nymphets” (Nabokov, Lolita 134). Immortalizing the fleeting beauty and enchanting qualities of these preteen girls is Humbert Humbert’s artistic mission
In Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, the overruling drive of the narrator, Humbert Humbert, is his want to attest himself master of all, whether man or woman, his prime cravings, all-powerful destiny, or even something as broad as language. Through the novel the reader begins to see Humbert’s most extreme engagements and feelings, from his marriage to his imprisonment, not as a consequence of his sensual, raw desires but rather his mental want to triumph, to own, and to control. To Humbert, human interaction becomes, or is, very unassuming for him: his reality is that females are to be possessed, and men ought to contest for the ownership of them. They, the women, become the very definition of superiority and dominance. But it isn’t so barbaric of Humbert, for he designates his sexuality as of exceptionally polished taste, a penchant loftier than the typical man’s. His relationship with Valerie and Charlotte; his infatuation with Lolita; and his murdering of Quilty are all definite examples of his yearning for power. It is so that throughout the novel, and especially by its conclusion, the reader sees that Humbert’s desire for superiority subjugates the odd particularities of his wants and is the actual reason of his anguish.