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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Of his wife Charlotte, H.H. says in Part 1, Chapter 18, “the only couple with whom she had relations of real cordiality, devoid of any arriõre-pensèe or practical foresight, were” with what couple that had just returned from Chile?

2. How old was H.H. when his mother died?

3. What was Annabel’s last name, according to the narrator in Part 1, Chapter 3?

4. What is the name of Charlotte Haze’s late husband and Lolita’s father in the novel?

5. Where does the narrator say he loved “a certain initial girl-child” prior to Lolita in Part 1, Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does H.H. describe his first months in North America in Part 1, Chapter 9? Where does he live and work?

2. What conversation do H.H. and Lolita have regarding her mother when he arrives at camp in Part 1, Chapter 27?

3. What preparations does H.H. make toward furthering his agenda with Lolita in Part 1, Chapter 25?

4. How does H.H. describe his young adulthood in Part 1, Chapter 5? How does he define “nymphets” in this chapter?

5. Where does H.H. first catch sight of Lolita in Part 1, Chapter 10? What are his impressions of the girl?

6. How would you characterize H.H. as narrator of the story, based on his language style in Part 1, Chapters 1-6?

7. How does H.H. describe his suppression of his lust for young girls in Part 1, Chapter 5?

8. What insinuations does Lolita make regarding her relationship with H.H. in Part 1, Chapter 27?

9. What events lead to H.H. and Lolita being alone together in the house in Part 1, Chapter 13? How does he describe their meeting in the house?

10. Why does H.H. visit his “family doctor” in Part 1, Chapter 22? What does he obtain there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define “narrative point of view” and analyze the narrative perspective of Lolita. How does the novel’s Foreword establish who the narrator of Part 1 will be? Does H.H. relate his story in the present or past tense? How reliable a narrator is Humbert Humbert?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the transitions in narrative style and form of address throughout the novel. When and where does H.H. break from a strict narrative style to direct address? Where does he speak of himself in third person? What do these instances indicate?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the genre of Lolita. What genre is the novel traditionally grouped into and how did Nabokov respond to this grouping? What genre did Nabokov feel Lolita fit best into? Why? Do you agree?

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