Lolita, first published in 1955, is a novel written by Vladimir Nabokov, as is known as one of the most controversial works of the 20th century. It tells the story of Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged man who becomes infatuated with a twelve year old named Dolores Haze. Age gap relationships have been a controversial topic and the controversy is about Humbert’s obsession and the disturbing nature of his actions.Aside from this being a piece of fiction, its goal is to start a conversation on morality, art and literary expression. Where can one draw the line? Is it purely subjective, or is there a line to be drawn? Nabokov goes into the ethical and philosophical complexity of the topic through his prose, opposing Humbert’s unreliable character and Lolita, that can often be considered more as a symbol than a fully fletched-out character.To this day, it is still a poignant piece of fiction, going way further than simply commentary about age-gap relationships, but actually touching on several societal conversations.
