Faust in Lolita: Composing sins, souls, and rhetorical redemption

Goethe\u27s Faust and Nabokov\u27s Humbert both are erudite, middle-aged European scholars who, experiencing a convergence of academic and existential ennui, set eyes upon a young girl and instantly are consumed with lust. In both works the girls\u27 widowed mothers die as a result of the protagonists\u27 lustful intentions; a cross-country flight ensues; the once-respected scholars are wanted for murder; and Gretchen and Lolita each suffer from their sexual and emotional objectification. But the connections between Goethe\u27s play and Nabokov\u27s novel extend far beyond plot points, or even their decidedly different receptions in early 19th century Germany versus mid-20th century America. Each incorporates thematic elements of temptation, sin, moral versus societal law, and perhaps, most important, damnation versus possible redemption. Combined, these striking thematic and textual similarities raise the compelling argument that Nabokov consciously and deliberately was reworking the Faust legend for a modern American audience. Moreover, this hidden compositional structure to a novel that many have called one of the greatest works of twentieth century American literature was one of Nabokov\u27s most jealously guarded secrets, one he took deliberate measures to ensure never would be uncovered. And until now, that has been the case.Part of the reason may lie in Nabokov\u27s often kaleidoscopic use of Goethe\u27s famous play. In Goethe\u27s version of the legend, for instance, the wager for Faust\u27s soul between the Lord and Mephisto is rendered explicitly in the Prologue in Heaven scene. In Lolita, however, this soul-battle is rendered implicitly. Humbert makes repeated references to the dual forces of God or winged gentlemen of the jury, for example, or else to the demonic element personified by what he calls McFate. At any moment, he fears one or the other may steal from him his life\u27s deepest hunger: to possess a nymphet. Through an examination of both primary and secondary texts, this dissertation connects and illustrates the hidden structure of Goethe\u27s Faust in Nabokov\u27s Lolita. Furthermore, it is argued that this structure allowed Nabokov to rhetorically address issues of deepest concern to him, most notably the future immortality of the human soul