Nabokov's aim: did he try to explain Humbert's behaviour, thought of some basic psychology and came up with this story about his childhood?
It sounds unconvincing to me. Did he think he should give his readers or the censors an explanation?
I imagine that not much was known about pedophiles in the 1950's from a medical point of view, and even now psychiatry may be rather sketchy on this point.
Now on the other hand, the story is very useful to the narrator.
Raving wrote:
Yes, I agree! He keeps adding justifications to try and convince us -- we can see a rather pathetic, manipulative character here. There is a lot of self-pity and self-centredness.it seems that Mr. Humbert is trying to explain away his infatuation with Lolita. It seems he is trying to say it isn't his fault because he had a devasting relationship with Annabel that was not ended properly. Almost like he is trying to justify his sexual urge to Lolita.
Interesting. First I had thought of who was trying to control whom, but this adds the issue of controlling oneself-- or failing to.The subject of control enters my mind. Humbert seems like he is trying to say that if he could have had Annabel then he could have controlled himself around Lolita. Annabel's death and Lolita's presence ripped that control away from him.