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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. In what year did H.H.’s father send him to a lycée in Lyon?

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

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

4. H.H. refers to himself as “a brand-new American citizen of” what origin in Part 1, Chapter 25?

5. The narrator describes a pocket diary with what golden year inscribed in its upper left-hand corner in Part 1, Chapter 11?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Where does H.H. first catch sight of Lolita in Part 1, Chapter 10? What are his impressions of the girl?

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

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

5. What does H.H. relate of his first wife’s later whereabouts and death in Part 1, Chapter 8?

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

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

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

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

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 H.H.’s obsession with “nymphets” and the origins of his hebephilia. How does the narrator explain his beliefs about its origins through the character of Annabel Leigh? Do you think this is an adequate assessment? Why or why not? How might the death of H.H.’s mother contributed to his behavior?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the character of Lolita, or Dolores Haze, in the novel. How old is Lolita when H.H. meets her? What characteristics does she exhibit? What about the character draws H.H. in?

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?

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