The narrator and central character of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita, who took on the pseudonym Humbert Humbert, strikes the reader as one of the most despicable and unorthodox protagonists in classical literature. He embodies numerous flaws and traits that would be almost intolerable in a human being, but which make for a fascinating literary character. In Humbert's narrative, his core traits of self-delusion and inherent immorality are inevitably exposed to the audience, his supposed jury, as they move the story forward. However, in an attempt to save his reputation, Humbert subtly reveals another important trait of his: a general indecisiveness and a tendency towards inaction. Nabokov establishes these main characteristics through various literary devices, such as various forms of random events, other characters' actions towards him, and most importantly, Humbert's narrative and use of language. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The most distinctive feature of the novel's protagonist is his delusional passion for Lolita and general detachment from reality, since it is this trait that facilitates Humbert's immoral behavior actions and tragic ending. One of the main aspects of Humbert's delusional nature is his love for the idea of ​​Lolita rather than the girl herself. Nabokov poignantly exposes this truth through the skillful use of language in Humbert's narrative. For example, the preface tells the reader that Humbert had altered all the names in his story except Lolita's, because "her name is too closely entwined with the innermost fiber of the book to permit of alteration" (3). Humbert also begins his story by describing the pronunciation of his love's name as "the tip of the tongue making a journey of three steps along the palate to click, on the third, on the teeth" (9). This heavy emphasis on Lolita's name presents Humbert's infatuation as a rather superficial infatuation, presumably focused more on an arbitrary notion of the girl rather than the girl's actual identity and behavior. Humbert's delusional fascination with Lolita is shown later in the tale when he describes his attempt to recreate one of his childhood sexual experiences with "Annabel Haze, alias Dolores Lee, alias Loleeta" (177). Once again, this playful use of names suggests that Humbert is not really interested in Lolita as a person, but rather in her ideal conception of the "nymphet", which both Annabel Lee and Dolores Haze seem to fit into. the illusion induced is his inability to accept Lolita's relative disdain towards her lover and the inevitability of his maturation after adolescence, as demonstrated primarily by Humbert's aggressive and oppressive actions with Lolita in his custody. Early in his relationship with the little girl, Humbert recognizes that Lolita cannot remain a nymphet forever, and he certainly does not expect her to return his desire for her. Instead, he seeks more innocent and one-sided outlets of his desire, and consequently expresses his satisfaction at having "stolen the honey of a spasm without affecting the morals of a minor", relieving his physical urges against his body and against her. knowledge (65). However, once Humbert sleeps with Lolita and breaks the physical barrier between him and the nymphet, he simultaneously breaks the barrier between what is reasonable and what is unreasonable in his mind. It is at this point that he expects her to love him as much as he loves her and refuses to allow her to ignore his affection. He becomes paranoid and jealous, refusing to allow her to socialize with other malesduring their travels, and convincing her to show him affection and give him sexual favors in exchange for spending money, which draws an eerie parallel to a traditional child's monetary allowance. In a desperate attempt to preserve Lolita's nymph qualities, Humbert threatens to take her away from the school and community they had become a part of, refusing to believe that, within two years, she could become comparable to "any vulgar messy high schooler applying shared cosmetics" (216). Although the audience immediately accuses Humbert Humbert of immorality with his confession of hebephilia, Nabokov often displays other, perhaps darker, shades of Humbert's immorality that establish his wickedness as innate nature. rather than the result of circumstance, primarily through Humbert's use of death and creative, self-directed insults, in accordance with his overall tragic nature, is tormented by death, particularly that relating to women in his life. Humbert grew up motherless, his Annabel Lee was killed before he could consummate his love for her, both his wives died prematurely, and his beloved Lolita died along with her stillborn daughter. However, in keeping with the theme of Humbert's lustful delusion, none of those deaths that do not directly interfere with his carnal desires prove to be of great moral importance to him. In contrast, Humbert refers to his first wife's death in childbirth as "[his] little revenge" (32), and evaluates the death of Lolita's mother as a highly fortunate guarantee of his complete possession of the child. Just as the taint of death permeates the narrative, so does Humbert's apparent sense of self-loathing. In comparison to Lolita's light, delicate features, for example, the narrator refers to himself as "lanky, bony, woolly-chested Humbert Humbert." , with bushy black eyebrows and a strange accent, and a cesspool of rotting monsters behind his slow boyish smile,” indicating the immoral desires that lie behind his seductive behavior (46). Even if these terms of self-denunciation are designed for illicit sympathy on the part of the "jury", they nevertheless indicate an underlying sense of malice in Humbert's nature. Whatever crimes Humbert commits and the immoralities he possesses, it is suggested that he is not entirely guilty of his actions he possesses the quality of inaction and indecision; he hardly plans his actions with full conviction, but must be pushed towards many courses of action these ideas, and to the recurring role of fate throughout the narrative. Many times throughout the narrative (excluding the end, of course), Humbert contemplates murder to satisfy his desires or compulsions, but decides against it. Since it is difficult for the reader to immediately conclude that this is the result of moral restrictions, this is evidence that Humbert has difficulty carrying out decisive actions and prefers to hold back, as when, thinking of killing Lolita's mother in the lake to ensure possession of the girl, turns to the reader, concluding: “simple, right? But what do you know, people, I just couldn't force myself to do it", indicating that it was not a practical matter but an inherent reluctance to take such strong action that prevented him from doing so (92). Where Humbert's initiative fails , then “McFate,” as labeled by the narrator, takes command. This, then, is where some of the blame for Humbert's actions lies. Many of the story's critical events happen by chance, including his mother's death.