Lolita Lesson Plan

Discuss the scene with Lolita on Humbert's lap. What allusions and parodies does Nabokov include? How does this scene play into the novel's themes?

The scene on Humbert's lap is, of course, horrifying in the objective actions being taken by Humbert. However, within this passage are many of the novel's underlying themes, and so it is worthwhile to analyze it beyond what happens on the surface.

Lolita is a novel full of references and parodies, and this scene is no different as it parodies the Garden of Eden story. Lolita, as Eve, devours the red apple throughout the scene, but instead of gaining any insight or wisdom, she remains ignorant of the calculated interior...