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Metaphors
Definition of Mood
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Part 1, Chapter 26
Explanation and Analysis:
Despite the often ironic and detached tone of Humbert’s narration, the overall mood of Lolita is passionate, fervent, and obsessive, reflecting Humbert’s perverse fixation with Dolores “Lolita” Haze, the adolescent daughter of his second wife, Charlotte Haze. When he describes his life prior to meeting Lolita, his language is unsentimental. However, when he describes Lolita and the time that he spends with her, the mood of the novel becomes fervid and zealous. Reflecting upon his actions in the days following the death of Charlotte from his prison cell many years later, Humbert writes:
This daily headache in the opaque air of this tombal jail is disturbing, but I must persevere. Have written more than a hundred pages and not got anywhere yet. My calendar is getting confused. That must have been around August 15, 1947. Don’t think I can go on. Heart, head—everything. Lolita, Lolita, Lolita, Lolita, Lolita, Lolita, Lolita, Lolita, Lolita. Repeat till the page is full, printer.
His language here exemplifies his continued sense of self-pity and inability to repent for his crimes, as he complains about the “daily headache” and “opaque air” of the prison, insisting that he must “persevere” in spite of these hardships. As he begins to think about Lolita, his repeated use of her name, which he writes nine times, reflects his ongoing and zealous obsession with her. He instructs the printer to “repeat” her name “till the page is full,” hoping to literally fill the page with just her name as a sign of his intense feelings of love for the girl. His impassioned, desperate mood here reflects that of the novel at large, as his language becomes rapturous and impassioned when describing Lolita.
Related Themes:
