Sublime Deceit in Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita

Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between aesthetics and ethics in Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, as represented in manifestations of the sublime in the text, conditioned by narrative strategies and reinforced by the continued discursive positioning of the author. My focus is on the ethical implications of telling, rather than on the ethical status of the subject matter of paedophilia. Owing to the wealth of available research material, the discussion is example-driven, focusing on discursive properties that problematize the argument. Similarly, the scope of theoretical enquiry is centred on the most relevant strands of theory within the fields of author theory, narrative theory, and aesthetics. The thesis’ main argument is that the novel’s narrative strategies and the discursive positioning of the author are intimately tied to, and shape, the sublime manifestations in the text, in a manner that is specific to literature.