Lolita Lesson Plan

What does John Ray, Jr. mean when he talks about Humbert's "diabolical cunning," specifically regarding Humbert's use of language?

One of Lolita's most salient themes is the use of language to puzzle and obscure. The Forward is full of little turns of phrase that are fun, but which have no significant bearing on the plot. For instance, John Ray states that Humbert died of "coronary thrombosis," which is essentially a fancy way of saying "broken heart."

However, there is a more devious side to this use of language: the "diabolical cunning" that John Ray refers to is Humbert's ability to use language to mask the horrible things he has done. Humbert's turns of phrase are...