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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. Which of Lolita’s school friends is described in Part 2, Chapter 9 as “a plump lateral child with hairy legs”?

2. What is ART described as standing for in Part 2, Chapter 2?

3. Which of Lolita’s friends is referred to by the narrator as “the school tennis champion” in Part 2, Chapter 9?

4. How many clues does H.H. collect as he tracks Lolita and her kidnapper in Part 2, Chapter 23?

5. The narrator says of Lolita’s friend Mona in Part 2, Chapter 9 that she “was burdened with” an I.Q. of what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does H.H. go about finding the missing Lolita in Part 2, Chapter 19?

2. How does H.H. go about finding Lolita in Part 2, Chapter 23? How successful is he in tracking her down?

3. What does H.H. describe about his and Lolita’s experiences at the cinema in Part 2, Chapter 3?

4. Where does Lolita claim to have been during her absence in Part 2, Chapter 19? How does H.H. respond?

5. How has Lolita’s behavior toward H.H. changed in Part 2, Chapter 3? What are his principle motivations in this chapter?

6. What does Miss Pratt advise H.H. regarding his stepdaughter’s sexual education in Part 2, Chapter 11?

7. How does H.H. effectively manipulate Lolita into secrecy regarding their sexual relationship in Part 2, Chapter 1?

8. What does Miss Pratt suggest regarding Lolita’s performance in the drama department in Part 2, Chapter 11? How does H.H. respond?

9. How does H.H. describe his motivations for writing down this information in Part 2, Chapter 2? What does he describe?

10. When does Miss Pratt call H.H. to a meeting in Part 2, Chapter 11? What are his impressions as he enters the meeting?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author’s development of sexual tension in Part 1, Chapters 1-12. How is the sexual tension between Lolita and H.H. illustrated? Given that H.H. is a subjective narrator, how reliable do you think his depictions are of Lolita’s actions?

Essay Topic 2

Popular Culture in Lolita

a. What are examples of allusions to popular culture of the 1950s in the novel? What statements do you think the author is making with each of these examples?

b. What role do movies and film play in Lolita? Why are movies so compelling to Lolita? How does H.H. feel about the movies they see?

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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