Humbert Humbert

Posted Wed, 01/28/2009 - 00:00 by Olivia Murphy

Humbert.Humbert: A Playlist


"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.” -Lolita, p.1




Humbert Humbert is one of the main characters and the first person narrator of Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita. He has a strange obsession with "nymphets," or young children between the ages of ten and puberty. Early in the novel, Humbert reveals that this strange obsession has stemmed from his childhood love, Annabel Leigh, who died a premature death from Typhus before the young pair was able to consummate their love. Since that time, Humbert has had many whores and meaningless relationships, even a marriage, which hold no emotional value. Just before World War II, Humbert moves from France to a small New England town where he eventually winds up boarding with Charlotte Haze solely because of her 12-year-old nymphet daughter Dolores, whom Humbert affectionately nicknames Lolita.


Andrew W.K.- She Is Beautiful


"I never knew girls existed like you,
but now that I do I'd really like to get to know you.
The girl's too young she don't need any better,
it's all coming back I can feel it
The girl's too young she don't know any better,
it's all coming back I can feel it.
She is beautiful- the girl is beautiful.
You're giving me moves that hit from all sides,
and when you are hitting like that you melt my eyes.
And though I never know you, I look at your face-
to tell you that I love you, don't know what to say.
You're everything I got, you beautiful girl-
the only thing I live for in the whole wide world.
I ain't got nothing to lose,
going to throw it away and talk to you.
She looks good and it's true
The girl is beautiful"


This song encompasses Humbert Humbert's feelings upon seeing Lolita for the first time. Instead of seeing her as an individual, she immediately reminds him of Annabel Leigh (the girl's too young she don't know any better, it's all coming back I can feel it), and he finds himself unable to stop staring at her and making excuses to sneakily watch her sunbathing or playing. The lines (you're giving me moves and hits from all sides, and when you are hitting like that you melt my eyes) explain that part of his infatuation is due to Lolita's not-so-innocent flirting, but he is still clearly crazy, because he falls in love with Lolita immediately upon seeing her and immediately makes wooing her the goal and purpose of his life (though I never know you, I look at your face- to tell you that I love you, don't know what to say. You're everything I got, you beautiful girl- the only thing I live for in the whole wide world). Musically, the song is very loud and fast, representing the speed and recklessness with which Humbert devoted his life to Lolita. Also, the singer is yelling in a raspy, almost pleading voice, and is clearly expressing to himself his feelings for someone else. In this same way, Humbert has nearly daily conversations with himself about Lolita and is consciously aware of his inner desires screaming to be known.



Death Cab For Cutie- I Will Possess Your Heart



"How I wish you could see the potential,
the potential of you and me.
It's like a book elegantly bound
but in a language you can't read just yet.
You got to spend some time, love-
you got to spend some time with me.
And I know that you'll find, love-
I will possess your heart.
There are days when outside your window
I see my reflection as I slowly pass.
And I long for this mirrored perspective
when we'll be lovers, lovers at last.
You reject my advances and desperate pleas,
but I won't let you let me down so easily"

Instrumental/Music Analysis
Before actually getting up enough nerve to talk and interact with Lolita, Humbert Humbert spends countless hours and days thinking about her and how he can seduce her into being with him. Throughout the song, the instrumentals represent the progression of Humbert’s feelings for Lolita. The first four and a half minutes of the song are purely instrumental, beginning softly with just guitar riffs and building to add in percussion, becoming more intense and loud the longer the song progresses. This musically represents the timeline of Humbert Humbert's emotions from the first time he meets and sees Lolita. His lustful thoughts begin immediately, but he is able to control them at first. The longer he is around Lolita, however, the more wild and intense his passions become, building wildly until he cannot hold them inside anymore and must speak and interact with the girl. When the lyrics finally kick in, representing Humbert’s first interactions with Lo, the music drops in volume and intensity as Humbert initially tries to hide his deep passions in order not to frighten the child. Throughout the half of the song that includes lyrics, the music once again starts low and simple but builds rapidly, showing that once Humbert expresses his feelings, he cannot control himself and eventually takes over Lolita's entire life in order to have her with him always.

Lyrical Analysis
At the culmination of the opening instrumentals, the very first lines of lyrics say (how I wish you could see the potential, the potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound but in a language that you can't read...just yet). These lyrics could verbatim be Humbert Humbert's thoughts. After he sees Lolita for the first time, though he is cautious in attempting to conceal his wild emotions, he is convinced both that something will happen between himself and Lolita (how I wish you could see the potential...) and that he will be able to make her fall for him (...in a language that you can't read...just yet.) As the lyrical elements of the song draw to a close, the lines become much more creepy and stalker-esque, just like Humbert does (there are days when outside your window I see your reflection as I slowly pass...you reject my advances and desperate pleas, but I wont let you let me down so easily). After Humbert gets the idea of himself and Lolita being together, it completely consumes him, and he begins to stalk her- watching her when she is unaware. When he finally makes his move Lolita returns the advances at first, but when she eventually changes her mind and wants go get away from him, Humbert is convinced she will learn to love him and will not let her go free (...I wont let you let me down so easily).



Kate Voegele- No Good

"It's illogical and it's outrageous
the way I let you keep me hangin' on.
Your character is that contagious,
I know I should have thought before I had done.
I've gone and let my impulse be my guide,
and on that note I'll be defenseless for some time
I'm moving in reverse under your mighty curse-
I hate myself for loving you.
Hey you there keep your distance- don't you come around here.
Don't test my patience baby, 'cause I aint gonna let you off easy.
I'm moving in reverse under your mighty curse.
I hate myself for loving you, I turn my head away
But my heart will remain
'till the day I learn you're No Good,
'till the day I learn you're No Good for me."


When Charlotte Haze first met Humbert Humbert to show him around her house as a potential boarder, she immediately became enamored. His French accent and European demeanor and manners stole her heart. Eventually, believing that Humbert was the greatest man she had ever met in the world, she confessed her love, and the two were soon married. Humbert was a very secretive man, as one might expect from a pedophile, and kept a private journal which he forbade Charlotte to read. The journal contained his obsessions over Lolita and his plans to get to Lolita, including a scheme to drug Charlotte in order to take advantage of her daughter. Clearly, upon reading the journal (which she eventually did, Charlotte was outraged, and immediately wrote a letter to Humbert telling him that she is leaving because he is a despicable man. The lyrics (I hate myself for loving you...hey, you there, keep your distance, don't come around here) show that Charlotte wants Humbert out of both hers and Lolita's lives, but still cant help but love him even though he is a twisted pedophile, showing just how addicting a personality Humbert possesses. As the lyrics suggest, Charlotte is torn. She knows she should not love Humbert because he is a terrible person and she hates him, but simultaneously can't keep herself from thinking about him. Musically, the song also represents this confusion. The singer goes back and forth between angrily pounding out the chorus and singing the verses in an almost nostalgic manner, indicating the fact that she knows the subject (in this case, Humbert) is no good, but she (Charlotte) can't keep herself from thinking about him.




Taylor Swift- Love Story



Another way of seeing Humbert Humbert is through the eyes of young Lolita. When Humbert first beings living with the family, she is very shy, but admires Humbert from afar. Eventually, she decides that his looks remind her of her favorite movie star, whose picture (which does bear a striking resemblance to Humbert) hangs above her bed with hearts around it. I chose this song to represent Lolita's initial views of Humbert, because it is a very innocent song full of childish fantasies sung by a young girl. At first, this is what Humbert represents to Lo- a gorgeous man of romantic movie star proportions whom she would love to run away with and have all to herself (Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone, I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess- it's a love story, baby just say yes). Also, the lyrics show that the love between Humbert and Lolita, even early on when felt and reciprocated by both parties, is forbidden and must be expressed secretly (I sneak out to the garden to see you, we keep quiet cause we're dead if they knew...)





Debbie Gibson- Let's Run Away



"Love is not a secret to take to the grave
Why won't you run away with me tomorrow?
We could dance under moonlight,
play catch with the stars all day-
Let's run away.
I cannot pretend oh no not to care anymore.
So look inside- let's run away."



A large part of who Humbert is and why he is so successful in life is his ability to formulate very meticulous and detailed plans. When Humbert devises schemes, no stone is left unturned. After Charlotte dies while Lolita is still at summer camp, Humbert is forced to devise a very sneaky plan in order to be able to escape from town with Lolita without any family or friends becoming suspicious. A large part of this plan is getting the road trip to sound appealing to Lo so she will not open her mouth and tell on him. The lyrics to this song represent the fantastical ideas that Humbert presents to Lolita and the fairy tale lifestyle he uses to lull her into a false sense of security so he can kidnap her (or, "run away" together). Humbert Humbert is manipulative, and uses the fact that he knows Lolita idolizes him because of his movie-stare likeness to persuade her to leave with him. (love is not a secret to take to the grave. Let's run away tomorrow we could dance under moonlight, play catch with the stars all day- let's run away). The sweetness of the music and sincere innocence of the artist's voice symbolizes the guiltless and sugar-coated manner in which Humbert presents his lies to Lolita so she will be tricked into leaving with him.


The All-American Rejects- Dirty Little Secret



"I go around a time or two, just to waste my time with you.
Tell me all that you've thrown away, find out games you don't wanna play-
you are the only one that needs to know.
I'll keep you my dirty little secret.
Don't tell anyone or you`ll be just another regret-
(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)
My dirty little secret- who has to know the way she feels inside?
Those thoughts I can't deny, these sleeping thoughts won't lie
And now I try to lie, it's eating me apart, trace this life back."


Once Humbert Humbert and Lolita have begun their cross-country journey together in an attempt to escape the world, Humbert starts realizing that Lolita is no longer happy. Just like the lyrics suggest (who has to know the way she feels inside?) Humbert does not care that Lolita does not want to be with him anymore and wants to go home. Deep down he loves the little girl and is unwilling to let her go, and knows that he has to find a way to keep her from telling (I'll keep you my dirty little secret. Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret, just another regret I hope that you can keep it...) Because he does not know exactly what to do and is manipulative at heart, Humbert panics and begins to threaten Lo against leaving and bribes her with money, food, and presents so she will keep her mouth shut.





Franz Ferdinand- You're the Reason I'm Leaving





"Some granite wall numbs our bones, numbs our all.
As we sit on skinny hands with nothing to say, nothing at all.
I don't know you and I don't want to.
You're so awkward just like me but I don't care.
You're the reason I'm leaving.
Yes I'm Fighting not to cry,
and that's another reason why I oughtta hate you like I do."


Just as her mother Charlotte discovered, Lolita too finally realizes that Humbert is nothing but a pedophile and a sexual pervert. Humbert Humbert has been molesting her for many months and is controlling her life, so Lolita finally picks up in the middle of the night and leaves with another man (I don't know you and I don't want to...you're the reason I'm leaving. Yes I'm fighting not to cry, and that's another reason why I oughtta hate you like I do). Humbert's lying scheming ways and perversion have finally come back to haunt him, and he loses Lolita, his only love.





The Who- Behind Blue Eyes

Milford Sound in New Zealand

No one knows what it's like to be the bad man,
to be the sad man behind blue eyes.
No one knows what it's like to be hated,
to be fated to telling only lies.
My dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be.
I have hours, only lonely.
My love is vengeance that's never free.
No one knows what it's like to feel these feelings like I do,
and I blame you.
No one bites back as hard on their anger,
none of my pain and woe can show through.

Instrumental/Music Analysis
This song perfectly encompasses Humbert Humbert's feelings about himself after Lolita leaves him. The melancholy introduction is simply vocals accompanied by a lonely sounding guitar riff, which reflects Humbert's feelings of sadness and solitude. The more uptempo,harsh sounding part in the middle of the song where more guitar and percussion picks up represents Humbert's angry rage after Lolita leaves, and his quest to find and kill the man she left him for. Overall, the instrumentals for this song are played in a minor key giving them a sadder and darker feel, very much in sync with the way Humbert Humbert views both the world and himself after Lolita leaves.

Lyrical Analysis
The lyrics also represent Humbert's internal struggle with being misunderstood as a man ("No one knows whats its like to be the bad man, to be the sad man...to be fated to telling only lies). As the lyrics suggest through the use of words like "fated" and "I blame you," it is obvious that Humbert feels as if the world has caused him to be the way that he is and that it is not his fault. Also, although the singer of the lyrics realizes that he is a bad person and does bad things, he never apologizes or feels remorse for his actions. Instead, he blames his faults on fate and other people, just like Humbert does. Even though he identifies himself as both a pedophile, molester, and murderer several times throughout the course of the novel, Humbert still does not feel as if he has done anything wrong, almost like he has no conscious or knowledge of what is good and bad ("But my dreams they aren't as empty as my conscious seems to be. My love is vengance that's never free.")

Comments

I too get a good sense of the

by Daniel Anderson - 02/10/2009 - 06:34

I too get a good sense of the character and story. I feel like the work with the music is strongest on the death cab song, and perhaps behind blue eyes. If you can expand that kind of discussion for the other selections it will tie things together better and help make sure about the selections. The sample links don't seem to be working. And I wonder if breaking it up in terms of structure might be a good idea--the long blocks of lyrics might be woven into the analysis in spots or more variety might be added.

Great job!

by Elizabeth Weislak - 02/04/2009 - 09:51

I think you did a really great job with this playlist. I think you did a great job representing the character of Humbert Humbert, especially in your choice of "I Will Possess Your Heart." Now that I think about it, it seems like that song was almost written for him. You did a good job in not only explaining how the lyrics of a song fit the aspect of the character, but also how the instrumental qualities fit it as well. Well done!

Humbert

by Jill Dwiggins - 02/04/2009 - 01:19

I also really enjoyed this. You do a good job of summing up the plot and conveying thematic elements too. And a lot of the songs you pick are perfect in hinting at the self-containment that pervades his character, without coming out and explicitly stating it. Your very last song was especially well-chosen, I think. Good work!

well done!

by Anna Kim - 01/30/2009 - 10:29

Olivia, I really enjoyed this playlist. I especially liked the pictures and the way it is organized. I have never read Lolita so the fact that it goes chronologically really helped me in understanding the development of HUmbert Humbert. You do a really good job of "reading" the music and bringing the character into your playlist.