Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindnesses and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart, and secure comfort.

Sir Humphry Davy

Monday, January 17, 2011

Lolita through page 109

After coming to America Humbert plans to stay with a friend of his uncle's named Mr. McCoo. However, after learning that Mr. McCoo's house has burned down, Humbert is forced to stay in a boarding house run by a widow named Charolette Haze. Humbert enjoyed neither the house he was living in nor Mrs. Haze. He did, however, enjoy Mrs. Haze's 12 year old daughter Dolores (whom reminded him of his previous love Annabel). While Humbert is in prison he recalls passages from the diary he kept which had many accounts regarding the Haze's house as well as many detailed accounts of Lolita. Many of the entries in Humbert's diary included detailed descriptions of Lolita and her "nymphetic" qualities.

While Humbert was living in the Haze house, Charolette would always plan to go on a picnic with him and Lolita. The three of them never ended up going on a picnic, though, because it kept getting postponed. Specifically there was one day where Charolette once again postponed the picnic which aggravated Lolita and she refused to go to Church. Because Lolita refused to go to church, Humbert has Lolita all to himself and seizes that opportunity.

Over the summer Charolette decideds to send Lolita away for three weeks to a Summer camp. This greatly bothers Humbert because he knows he will miss Lolita during the time she spends away from him. Humbert even considers leaving the Haze house until Lolita returns in the Fall. Just as Lolita is leaving for camp, her final goodbye to Humbert is a kiss. Thoughts of this kiss consumed Humbert for awhile to come.

After having been greatly distracted by Lolita's kiss, Humbert was suprised to recieve a letter from Charolette Haze professing her love for Humbert. In the letter, she asks for Humbert to either leave the house or reciprocate the feeling and marry her. Humbert ponders the idea and sees it as a chance to become closer to Lolita. Because of Lolita Humbert decides to marry Charolette. Humbert finds the engagement tolerable, despite the fact that he considers killing Charolette for considering sending Lolita away to boarding school.

As Humber is away at the doctor getting sleeping pills to give to both Charolette and Lolita, Charolette finds Humbert's journal with detailed accounts of his fantasies about Lolita. In an effort to calm Charolette down, Humbert tells her that the journal was merely part of a novel he was working on.

After his tense argument with Charolette he learns that she has been hit by a car. Because the one thing separating him from being with his obsession (Lolita) is now dead, Humbert plans a trip for Lolita and him to take when she arrives home from camp. Humbert ponders how he is going to be able to steal Lolita away without looking suspicious to Charolette's dear friends John and Jean Farlow. In an effort to woe her, Humbert buys Lolita many presents including clothing.

After having so much happen the plot have become very detailed. This is not a bad thing though, because it keeps me thinking and focused on the book. If ever I am reading and confused on what happened I have to go back and reread the part to make sure that im keeping up with the rapid plot changes. Once again, Humbert's obsession with a much younger girl still disturbs me, but the many events happening in the story keep me interested and keep me reading the book very intently.

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