''Vladimir Nabokov's Comic Quest for Reality' - Nottingham eTheses

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her: "... -a
life full of the glamour of a first-
class film with rocking palm trees and shuddering
roses. .. "(LD, 76). So much is this the kind of life
that she wants and so afraid is she "of seeing it
all snap" (LD., 76) that she does not take any risks,
even when tempted. In order to secure the material
luxury and comfort with which Albinus surrounds her,
she tries "her utmost to remain quite faithful to
him", even though, whatever her feelings for him may
be, "she knew, all along, that for her it would always
be love minus something, whereas the least
touch of her first lover had always been a sample
of everything"(LD,
75). But when this man, Axel Rex,
returns, she is not prepared to abandon her luxurious
life for the sake of her love. She has worked
on Albinus, insisting-on marriage. She thinks that
"now he is ripe" and is exasperated to think that
Axel Rex, who is "a beggar compared with him" might
spoil everything (LD, 98).
It was said above that recent critics have been
very harsh in their judgements on Lolita, pointing
out her conventionality and brainlessness, her vulgarity
and shallowness and what they call her insensitivity.
As the analysis has shown, they are right
up to 'a certain point and in some respects Lolita
appears like a younger edition of Margot., Conventionality
certainly is a predominant characteristic
of both of them. Also, Margot, lying on the sand,
°a thin white rubber belt relieving the black of
her bathing suit", looks like "the perfect seaside