2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

Nearing the end of the novel, Humbert concedes he was motivated by his original intentions to “use these notes in toto” (p.308) at his trial. Also, it is clear to the reader when Humbert throughout the texts opens the chapter with the phrase “Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury” creating a fictional narratee. ‘This gives Humbert ulterior motives, and the text could therefore be considered a defence speech as well as demonstrating the realistic motivation for the highly argumentative and rhetorical style which he uses’ (Ghez, 2011). There is certainly the potential that Humbert adapts his story, writing in a specific manner in order to benefit the outcome of his trial. Although, other differing perspectives could suggest that Humbert did not plan on using his narrative in trial, as Humbert mentions he wrote these memoires “not to save {his} soul” (p.351). However, Humbert is known to present things differently that what they are, hence it is debatable whether Humbert should be taken seriously regarding the addressing of a jury. Humbert is a cynical and ironic character and tends to be mocking in his writing style, something which Humbert himself emphasizes; ‘You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style’ (p.7). Not only does this theory present a purpose to Humbert’s writing, it reveals why the reader is left feeling that they almost like Humbert. Nabokov uses this unreliability to create a game for the reader; part of the enjoyment of reading Lolita is attempting to deduce whether or not Humbert is telling the truth. Conclusion To conclude, it is obvious that unreliability is a core part of Humbert’s character, revealing how deluded and damaged he really is. When comparing Humbert’s writing to indicators of unreliability, he fits the criteria perfectly: he demonstrates fallible memory, biased retellings of events and lying. Throughout the novel Humbert is constantly attempting to persuade and manipulate the reader into believing in his

13