Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita - Analysis and Context - Lecture 1

Explore a thought-provoking lecture on Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel in this Yale University video. Delve into the complex reactions elicited by the book, examining Nabokov's masterful writing style juxtaposed with its disturbing subject matter. Gain insights into the author's Russian childhood and its influence on his themes of memory, imagination, and language. Analyze how Nabokov skillfully employs multiple narrative voices to challenge moral judgments and celebrate the power of imagination and language. Investigate the novel's historical context, narrative layers, use of seduction and cliché, literary influences like Edgar Allan Poe, and the intricate interplay between morality and manipulation. This 52-minute lecture, part of "The American Novel Since 1945" course, offers a comprehensive exploration of one of literature's most controversial masterpieces.

- Chapter 1. Lolita: Initial Student Responses.
- Chapter 2. Historical Context: A Brief Biography of Nabokov.
- Chapter 3. Blurring Narrative Layers: Locating the Author in John Ray Jr.'s Forward.
- Chapter 4. Seduction and Cliché.
- Chapter 5. Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee".
- Chapter 6. Morality and Manipulation.