Programmed Desire: A Darwinian Reading of Humbert Humbert's Predilection on Lolita in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita

Abstract

This MA thesis study explores Darwinian evolutionary explanations of character motives and behavior in Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita (1955). The aim of the study is to interpret the main character’s sexual-romantic obsession with a female child character within the framework of evolutionary sciences such as evolutionary psychology. The study is conducted by close reading of the source material in connection with applying and explaining findings within the theoretical position of evolutionary sciences. The main finding is that the main character’s predilection and molestation on the girl character has an evolutionary basis based on age, reproductive potential, and fertility but the desire of his becomes individualized towards the girl over the course of the story, muting psychological predispositions shaped by evolution. Additionally, the child’s characterization construed evolutionarily could have made her amenable to be sexually exploited by the main character. The thesis suggests further research in terms of evolutionary analysis of the discourse and social practices of the novel, general encouragement for evolution-inspired reading of literature, and possibly empirical reader reaction research on Nabokov’s Lolita.