Re: Bruno and more

There is a discrepancy between the traditional concept of what a love story is in literature, and how we apply it to real life. If you really think about it, much of our great literature does not emphasize actual love, but rather, the idealized image of love. In this respect, Lolita is actually a very traditional love story because it emphasizes this idealized concept to an extreme degree. Although this consuming obsession is disapproved of in society, it does happen. One of the greatest love stories ever written, Romeo and Juliet, was based on the "love at first sight" scenario. But if Romeo and Juliet were to have survived, would their relationship have persisted? I doubt it. Never once was there anything mentioned beyond their mutual physical attraction. Nevertheless, relationships usually start this way. Many people mistake this infatuation for love. Under a spell, starry eyed people often claim to have "fallen in love." If a relationship has any potential substance, it would build beyond this initial spark. In Romeo's and Juliet's case, it never does.

Likewise, in Lolita, Humbert never establishes anything for his relationship with Lolita beyond his lust for her. His longing to get close to Lolita was not built on love, but on his own sexual fulfillment and bribes. Humbert is too involved with himself to communicate with Lolita, and he prefers to ignore her unhappiness, rather than to confront it. If he had interacted with her, there might have been a slight chance that Lolita would not have been drawn to escape. However, as an adolescent, Lolita's emotions were most likely taking on an emotional roller coaster ride, and she probably would not have listened anyways.

As a person "in love", Humbert allows his emotions, rather than his intellect, to rule him. Everything that Lolita says or does to Humbert is an indication that she feels the same toward him, when, in fact, it might have been brought about by Lolita's mercurial adolescent nature. She is experimental and flighty, and, like any adolescent, she is inclined to experiment with new and exciting aspects of her life, sexually and emotionally. Humbert's obsession with Lolita is a bit one-sided, as she does not seem to return his affections. In this respect, you could also argue that this is not a love story but more like a recount of a man's consuming obsession, because as you said before, "a love story is made up of charcters coming together with a certain obsession for each other." This mutual feeling of "love" that you mentioned was not shared equally by Humbert and Lolita.