The Lolita Effect

Back in 1955, the widely renowned book Lolita had been published by the author Vladimir Nabokov. Written by Russian-American novelist, this book is a commentary on a taboo topic at the time; hebephilia.

source: stopitnow.org

This disturbing narrative, depicted in Vladimir Nabokov's novel, delves into the complexities of obsession, manipulation, and abuse. The protagonist's twisted desires and actions not only highlight the darker aspects of human nature but also serve as a commentary on the blurred lines between love, lust, and control. As the story unfolds, us readers are confronted with uncomfortable truths about power dynamics, morality, and the consequences of unchecked impulses. Through its provocative exploration of taboo subjects, Lolita challenges societal norms and forces us to confront the uncomfortable reality of exploitation and predation.

Lolita gave us a perspective from an unreliable source, the predators mind. How he melded and shaped a narrative to his own deluded romance,

This book was never and will never be a romance.

The Film's Part in the Effect

In 1962 the adaptation and hit (all of the wrong reasons) film Lolita released. Admittedly a story like this isn't easy to translate into film, Dark themes that involve children, obviously, do not go well with the majority of viewers.

After enjoying a beautifully written novel, you would anticipate that the film adaptation will bring up emotions ten times stronger than those experienced while reading. But unfortunately for a lot of viewers this wasn't the case.

Lolita became a romance, Even though this movie wasn't trying to be a love story, it was heavily misconstrued by a wide viewing. While trying to sensor some of the dark themes of the original novel, it resulted in removing the obvious unreliability of Humbert's narration, taking his manipulation of the narrative as truth.

In various scenes of the film, he is truly made out to be a victim, a man plagued by a young girl, a girl that holds "power" over him, a girl that was trying to seduce him and drag him to ruin.

So what happened? a majority of male viewers all sighed after watching this film "Poor Humbert".

Modern day Media

By time a genre for; books, films, animes, mangas, ect... was slowly developing and growing. Subtle references to Lolita as a romance was and still is being thrown around in many different medias.

Loli girls, A young or young-looking girl character in Japanese anime and manga; subjects of the lolicon genre, have been gaining popularity for quiet some time now, and it goes without mention that the fanbase of this genre is mostly men above the age of 16.

This genre has been so popularised and normalised, there are many women cosplayers that dress childlike, and make use of "young girl" mannerisms to appease their male audience.

There are subreddits, threads, and forums dedicated to men who are interested in this genre. In these spaces, discussions often revolve around media such as Lolita, which is used to rationalise their attraction to young girls. The most often heard excuse is "Girls always know what they're doing."

I strongly believe that young adults, both girls and boys, should be introduced to the book Lolita and taught how to deconstruct its narrative, as we have failed to grasp the true essence of Nabokov's work.

My Dark Vanessa- Kate Elizabeth Russle

The very book that inspired this blog post,

I believe My Dark Vanessa is almost as beautifully written as Lolita. It follows Vanessa dealing with the abuse that her old english professor, Strane, has done to her. It shows how for so long, she couldn't accept that he was doing her harm, that if it wasn't love she wouldn't know what to do.

Strane, presented Vanessa with the book Lolita, telling her that it reminded him of her. By framing it as a romance, he manipulated her into loving it. Strane used literature, particularly works by Nabokov, to manipulate Vanessa, which I find ironically intriguing.

What was so amazing about this book, it didn't romanticise itself, it didn't sugar coat or try to be lighthearted, it is a real, and raw perspective of how a power abuse filled relationship affected Vanessa for 15 years.

Final Thoughts

The media associated with or resembling Lolita spans a wide spectrum, encompassing various nuances. While the novel had a significant and touching impact on many, the film and other media adaptations have often oversimplified the original work, reducing it to a superficial "aesthetic" that largely revolves around the concept of women infantilising themselves to conform to the male gaze (inevitably it comes back to the male gaze).

For such a topic that constantly occupies my thoughts, I lack a clear conclusion or definitive statement. The intricate novel, with its complex themes and conversations, is being simplified and misunderstood. Why? because none of you wanted to pay attention to English literature back in school.