Lolita: Part Two

The very descriptive pages that begin part two are intimate tellings of motels around America, or what Humbert would call the "Functional Motel" (p. 145). It's funny to think that his description of a motel then is "a clean, neat, safe nook[ed] ideal place for sleep, argument, reconciliation, insatiable illicit love" (p. 145), but as I think of a motel I imagine a low priced, dirty, roach ridden Super 8. One of the funniest lines of this entire section is found on the second page of reading: "We avoided Tourist Homes, country cousins of Funeral [Homes]". I think that just goes to show how Humbert did not want to be seen, and if he did happen to be seen he could end up dead. I don't know, just a thought.

The concept of American movement in contrast to European inactivity is again illustrated when he mentions Lolita's immature ways that he was not prepared for: she had "fits of disorganized boredom, intense and vehement griping, her sprawling, droopy, dopey-eyed style, and what is called goofing off" (p. 148). Did Humbert forget this was a child? Don't children usually have unusal shorts spans of attention? No, he couldn't have forgetton. Especially when he looked for roadside signs that mentioned children under 14 were free as his "income was cracking under the strain of [thier] joy-ride" (p. 175). Oh, Humbert.

It annoys me to see Humbert "warn her she would dwell with [him] in exile for months and years if need be...unless her present attitude changed" (p. 149) and put scenarios in her mind of her going to an orphanage if she was to accuse him of rape. Was he not just saying how happy he was getting off without affecting her. His whole attitude has changed, and I do not like it. He puts up this facade of a "dream dad protecting his dream daughter" (p. 149) which is disturbing, and I can only imagine it gets worse as the story progresses.

From a literay point of view there is beautiful imagery as the two travel across the United States from motel to motel: "we glided over their glossy black dance floors", "mummy-necked farmer", and "sky losing its blue to the heat" are all wonderfully written phrases (p. 152-153).

Humbert is a very jealous man. He should be mad at himself. He has turned her into one of those promiscuous girls that are typically raised without a father and wander into the streets longing to belong to a man. "The men peered at her and me with malevolent curiosity. suddenly all dimples, she beamed sweetly at them, as she never did at my orchideous masculinity" (p. 171).

Also, Humbert mentions that although they went cross country, they never really saw anything. Maybe it's because he was too busy hiding himself from the rest of the world. He also states in the same thought that Lolita cries herself to sleep every night. Humbert takes a job at a school when the two finally settle and one phrase the headmistress states describes the life on the road for Humbert and Lolita and how he fed her childhood wants: "We live not only in a world of thoughts, but also in a world of things" (p. 178).

Not much happened in this section. Not that great. But, I also wanted to comment on the end of the section where his view of other girls is blocked by builders whom never return again on their work-- I just think it's fate.