A Structuralist Interpretation Of Lolita

Lolita is the most representative and controversial work by the famous contemporary Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov. This thesis intends to analyze the oppositional features reflected in Lolita in the light of Structural Semantics represented by literary structuralist Algirdas J. Greimas; and it also attempts to interpret the behavioral features in the light of Narrative Grammar represented by Tzevetan Todorov, with an aim to offer a re-reading of Lolita with the integration of form and content from a structuralist perspective.The thesis is composed of five chapters.Chapter One is an introduction to Vladimir Nabokov, the brief summary of Lolita and the historical review abroad and at home, which aims at showing the reason why structuralist narrative theory is chosen and explaining the significance of this study.Chapter Two focuses on the theories of Structuralism. Structuralism attempts to reconstruct the deep level structure under the surface by applying Sassure's views to literature, since Structuralism sees that there exist some deep-level rules underneath the surface reality. Moreover, binary opposition, as the fundamental concept of Structuralism, is "the start of signification and narrative", "the relationsthat are most important in structural analysis", and governs the narrative structure of a textBoth Greimas and Todorov think there exists, at a deep level, a "grammar" of narrative from which individual stories ultimately derive. But they separately emphasize the "semantic" and "syntactic" aspects of narrative: Greimas is interested in content, while Todorov focuses on form. Although they stress different aspects of narrative, both of them focus on the "unity" and "wholeness" of the fiction, the integration of content and form. Therefore, these two must be joined together to form the narrative and explore the "grammar" underlying in the text so that the analysis of the novel, Lolita, can be completed.Chapter Three is the narrative analysis of Lolita with binary oppositions to reveal the surface and deep conflicts in the novel. Binary oppositions function as the core and the basis of Structuralism, and Nabokov's life experience still follows the principle of binary oppositions, his personal experiences affects his works which are a blend of imagination and reality. Furthermore, Lolita is an excellent embodiment of binary oppositions in its theme, settings, characters and symbols, which will be respectively analyzed in the thesis. Chapter Four seeks the narrative pattern Lolita presents with Todorov's narrative grammar. The actions of the main characters are examined in detail: Humbert Humbert, the title hero, seeks for love and childhood dream and self-consciousness; Lolita seeks for childhood, self-consciousness and love; Mrs. Charlotte seeks for love etc. Though each one has his particular object, the common quality can be found and summarized as a pattern: seek—find—lose—seek. The main characters have gone through such a twisted path to pursue, but ultimately they regain the peace and calmness of mind by means of death. They understand their pursuit is nothing but a meaningless dream.Chapter Five is the conclusion of the thesis. Binary oppositions underlie the content of Lolita, and the pattern of actions "seek—find—lose—seek" structures the narrative of each character. The ultimate goal of structuralism is to achieve universe structure pattern. Meanwhile, this pattern "seek-find--lose-(seek)" has a profound literary meaning, showing the general association between literature and human life, regardless of what kind of ideals and goals, never-ending quest remains to be the universal and unchanged spirit for human beings.