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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. How old was Lolita’s younger brother when he died?

2. How old does H.H. refer to “his daughter” at the hotel in Part 1, Chapter 27?

3. Where does the narrator say his father owned a luxurious hotel in Part 1, Chapter 2?

4. In what year does Lolita turn 12 in Part 1, Chapter 19?

5. The narrator describes Lolita as standing how tall “in one sock” in Part 1, Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. What preparations does H.H. make toward furthering his agenda with Lolita in Part 1, Chapter 25?

2. What written work does H.H. present in Part 1, Chapter 11? What is revealed through this text?

3. How does H.H. characterize his domestic life with Charlotte after marriage in Part 1, Chapter 18?

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

5. What solidifies H.H.’s intentions regarding Charlotte and Lolita in Part 1, Chapter 17? What action does he take?

6. What does H.H. discover about his reservation when he arrives at the Enchanted Hunters Inn in Part 1, Chapter 27?

7. What conversation do H.H. and Lolita have regarding her mother when he arrives at camp in Part 1, Chapter 27?

8. Whom does H.H. marry in Part 1, Chapter 8? What eventually leads the protagonist to the United States?

9. What leads to H.H.’s initial thoughts of murdering Charlotte in Part 1, Chapter 20?

10. How does H.H. describe his first months in North America in Part 1, Chapter 9? Where does he live and work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the publication history of Lolita, controversies after its publication, the banning of the novel, and the criticism, biography, and works of author Vladimir Nabokov. Where did Nabokov choose to first have Lolita published? Why? How did critics respond to the controversial subject matter of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Define “narrative point of view” and analyze the narrative perspective of Lolita. How does the novel’s Foreword establish who the narrator of Part 1 will be? Does H.H. relate his story in the present or past tense? How reliable a narrator is Humbert Humbert?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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