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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. What does H.H. tell Lolita the blue pills are that he pretends to take in Part 1, Chapter 27?

2. According to the narrator of the novel, Valeria later dies during childbirth in what year?

3. The narrator claims in Part 1, Chapter 11 that the “median age of pubescence for girls has been found to be thirteen years and nine months in New York and” what city?

4. Who comes down to the lake to paint as H.H. and Charlotte are laying in the “private beach” area in Part 1, Chapter 20?

5. What is the name of Mrs. Chatfield’s daughter that is going to a summer camp in Part 1, Chapter 14?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does H.H. discover outside after receiving Leslie Tomson’s phone call in Part 1, Chapter 22?

2. How would you characterize H.H.’s motivations toward Lolita based on his observations in Part 1, Chapter 14?

3. How does H.H. describe his dinner with Charlotte Haze in Part 1, Chapter 14?

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

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

6. How does H.H. describe his experience with a young French prostitute in Part 1, Chapter 6?

7. 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?

8. How does H.H. describe his relationship with Annabel in Part 1, Chapters 2-4? What impact did this relationship have on the protagonist?

9. How does H.H. respond to Charlotte’s suggestion of going to England in Part 1, Chapter 21?

10. What information does H.H. learn from Charlotte’s letter in Part 1, Chapter 16? How does he respond to this information?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Plot Structure

a. Discuss the plot structure of Lolita. In what ways is the narrative related and what effect does this have on the reader?

b. How does Lolita compare with other novels written during this time period? Are there specific stylistic elements that can be seen in Nabokov’s writing?

Essay Topic 2

Literary Allusion and Language

a. Discuss the author’s use of literary allusion in Lolita. Do you think that literature is the equivalent to H.H. as movies are to Lolita? What does this imply about their characters?

b. H.H. makes several references to the works of Edgar Allan Poe in the novel. What similarities exist between Lolita and Poe’s writing?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the death of Charlotte Haze in the novel. How does Charlotte die? What elements of foreshadowing has the author used to indicate this event? What shifts does the narrative take during the moments before Charlotte’s death? How do these transitions serve to develop tension?

(see the answer keys)

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