I can't help but imagine that Humbert Humbert, on his great trek across America with his Lolita, would be immune to a twelve year old's hankering for music. Even once he called her a "disgustingly conventional little girl" and mentioned her love for "Sweet hot jazz". But naturally, H.H. would find a way to make it tolerable with his own music forced in there.
"Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" by Ella Fitzgerald nearly encapsulates Humbert Humbert's perception of Lolita. She is only twelve, yes (and that's part of the appeal), but he gives her the credit and the agency of a grown adult. The lyrics starting out with "Men are not a new sensation" recalls her seemingly fast growth in maturity she has over the summer where she experiments with two friends. He sees this as an innocent "this is just what little kids do" but unconsciously it signifies that Lolita is older than her age, almost giving him permission to do as he wishes.
Two more lyrics stand out as if it is being told by Lolita through the perception of Humbert that she does love him: I'm wild again Beguiled again A simpering, whimpering child again Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Ooh I'll sing to him Bring springs to him And worship the trousers that cling to him Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I Even though Lolita is only twelve, he believes her mental age is so much older and even that supports his attraction to nymphets and even his own narcissism - that she subdues her mental age and succumbs to childish helplessness to a man who is abusing her. And, that leads well into the last stanza as he has controlled the nymphet, succumbing her to a sweet (in his eyes) stockholm syndrome, or in other words, completely solipsizing her.
This one seems pretty self-explanatory. Humbert Humbert literally writes a novel about Lolita. He is using it almost as a testimonial as he sits in jail, prefacing parts of his story to the gentlemen of the jury. The lyrics,
If they ask me, I could write a book About the way you walk and whisper and look I could write a preface on how we met So the world would never forget
service as his whole motive. Humbert, even in jail, romanticizes his relationship with Lolita and uses his words to attach innocence to it. Innocence that the act wasn't wrong, innocence of Lolita, innocence that he did nothing wrong. This song could represent his determination that this is a love story and that no one should forget its inherent nature of being a love story, that it was too tremendous and romantic, as well as the nature of a nymphet - that despite the innocence of a twelve year old, a nymphet is not innocent because of how she walks and whispers and looks, and Humbert Humbert needs his gentlemen of the jury not to forget.
Humbert Humbert grew exhausted of The Great American Roadtrip, as well as his wallet. But, for a romanticist of quite ugly things and acts, I'm sure he would interject this song as the grand finale of an old cassette (if they were invented then) to tie up the beautiful - and expensive - summer they shared. It also shares, within the song, a moment of sadness with the lyric "How could a love that seemed so right go wrong" that acknowledges the terrible fate the love story takes.
The Vision of Beauty
There are multiple times throughout the novel in which Humbert Humbert compares his Lolita to Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus". While this is not the exact painting, I did find this version - "The Postmodern Birth of Venus" by Flora Borsi to be a good analysis of how it could tie into Lolita. Humbert compares Lolita to Venus in her beauty and portrayal, yet doesn't see how unhappy Lolita is under his captive hand.
This ad from the 1940s could serve as a depiction of the romanticization of Humbert and Lolita's roadtrip and her love for shakes and other sweets. While this agitates Humbert beyond belief, the image shows a romanticized version of him lost in a trance for his love of her.
This image could serve as a depiction of a justification behind Humbert's disdain for Lolita to go to a public school. The kids are rowdy and loud, clearly detesting something. As well, there are chances for Lolita to explore with other boys more than she has the chances to in the novel. He wants Lolita to be subdued and quiet, compliant to his own wishes wants, and this image serves as a reminder of not only what he despises in Lolita - her sarcasm and cynicism - but of what he doesn't want her to become or do.
A Newsworthy Capture
Lolita loved her magazines. I think this would be the type of magazine Humbert Humbert would try to sneak into her collection during the 1950s in order to perhaps persuade her into being more submissive and less rowdy and objective.
This article was an interesting pick as it not only demonstrates the attitude of men towards women in that time period, but it would also be interesting to look at it with Humbert in mind. He was a misogynist and sexist, so I believe he would say yes. But also, how would this pertain to Lolita? I think he would find this interesting to ruminate and would make him feel even less shame to hurting Lolita knowing that other men do it to women too.
I liked this headline as it demonstrates Humbert's very narcissistic view of himself. His cunning persona was slain in a sense as he was captured and caught for murder. But I believe this is how he would describe himself if he saw this headline, especially if he was on the run. Even in death he would still want his own appearance and beauty to be known.