Chance And Caprice: The Chaos In Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita

Vladimir Nabokov is considered as one of the best stylists and the greatest novelists in English literature for his unique form and exquisite style. His world renown is due in large part to his masterpiece Lolita, hailed as the most allusive and linguistically playful novel since Ulysses.Critics have delved since its publication into different dimesions of Lolita from various perspectives. This thesis, however, attempts to trend an untrodden path in Nabokov studies by applying chaos theory to the study of Lolita so as to uncover its significance.In Introduction, a brief survey is made of the origin, development and application of chaos theory immediately after a literature review of study on Lolita. Then this thesis proceeds to analyze chaos in this novel in three chapters. In Chapter One, my concern is with the embodiment of the four fundamental tenets of chaos theory in Nabokov's creative thoughts and in the process of life in the world of Lolita. Firstly, small changes or perturbations may unpredictably and drastically alter the complex systems in the process of life. Secondly, for trivialities to have this influence, extremely sensitive interrelations must exist among the elements of the systems. Thirdly, an underlying order is either imbedded within or emerges inside complex system. Fourthly complex systems may provide new insights into our view of determinism and free will. Chapter Two studies the importance of Lolita for our appreciation of pattern in chaos and life, focusing on the main characters of this novel, particularly Humbert's evolving consciousness which is greatly influenced by the contingent physical world. Beside, it exposes the interrelation of his tragic ending and the chaotic world. Chapter Three investigates the eternity theme in this novel. In regard to the author's concentration to eternity, we may find out his pursuit for it in his aesthetic writing, with memory and death being possible ways to get it. The concluding part is to advocate the nonlinear thinking of this novel and welcome the chaos in literary writings as well as a review of my key points expressed in the previews chapters and a restatement of the significance of my study.