THE USE OF THE NARRATOR’S LANGUAGE AS CAMOUFLAGE: A STUDY ON VLADIMIR NABOKOV’S LOLITA

Abstract

Nabokov’ s Lol i t a i s a book t ha t deal s wi t h obse ss i ve l ust a nd bl oody vi ol e nce, s e x a nd mur de r of t e n ma s ked by t he bea ut y of t he l a ngua ge . One of t he i nt er es t i ng t hi ngs of t he novel i s t he met hod of f or ci ng t he r e ader t o under s t a nd t he mai n c har ac t er t hr ough a bea ut i f ul ma ni pul at i on of l a ngua ge. The l angua ge i n t hi s nove l i s used not j ust mer e l y t o t e l l a st or y. I t ha s a not her f unct i on. I t i s t o ca mouf l a ge t he r eader of t he novel . Thi s t he si s a na l yze s t he wor ds pl a y a nd t he i nt r i gue s t hat t he ma i n char ac t er use t o ca mouf l a ge hi s be ha vi or a nd hi s cr i me. Wha t ma ke s t he l a ngua ge used by t he nar r a t or a f f ect s t he mi nd of t he r ea der a nd why he use s t he nar r at i ve st yl e i n wr i t i ng hi s t e st i moni al ar e t he pr obl e ms t ha t wi l l di s c uss ed i n t hi s t he s i s . The s cope of t hi s st udy i s bound onl y i n t he s t r uct ur al a na l ys i s bec a use i t i s a n expl or a t i on about t he l i t er ar y e l e me nt s t hat ma i nl y bui l d t he nove l . The y ar e di ct i on, i ma ger y a nd poi nt of vi e w. Me a nwhi l e t her e a r e t wo appr oac hes used i n t hi s t hes i s, t hos e ar e f or ma l i s t i c a nd ps yc hol ogi cal appr oac h. La ngua ge i s ver y i mpor t a nt i n our l i ve. Whe n we mee t someone f or t he f i r s t t i me , i t i s t hr ough l a ngua ge we us ual l y gue s s t he c har ac t er of t he per son t ha t we t a l ked t o. By t he l a ngua ge t hat he us es we ca n ge t our f i r s t i mpr e s si on about hi m. The l a ngua ge i n t hi s t he s i s i s a nal yz ed f r om i t s di c t i on, i ma ger y a nd poi nt of vi e w. Eac h of t he m ha s t hei r o wn par t i n ca mouf l a gi ng t he nar r a t or ’ s obse s si on of nymphe t a nd hi s f a ul t i n mur der Cl ar e Qui l t y. The us i ng of di ct i on, i ma ge r y combi ne s wi t h t he us e of f i r st pe r son nar r a t i ve wi l l f or m a cer t ai n e f f e ct t o t he r eader . The nar r at or hol ds e ver y i mpor t a nt aspect t o s t i r t he r e ader t o wha t he wa nt s. I t i s t o s how t ha t he i s a ni ce per son. He knows t hat he i s cl a i med f or a cas e of mur der . So he wr i t e s hi s t e st i moni a l i n nove l f or m so he ca n gi ve mor e dr a mat i c e f f ect i n hi s st or y. He wr ot e i t i n a j ai l cel l . But be f or e hi s cour t bega n, he wa s de ad. I n hi s t e st i mony, he dr a ws hi mse l f as a n i nnoce nt ma n t ha t ha s f ool ed by a l i t t l e gi r l who ha s cont a mi nat ed wi t h Ame r i ca n c ul t ur e . And i t i s mor e t ouc hi ng f or hi m t o wr i t e i t i n nove l f or m t han wr i t e i t i n a f or mal f or m of a t e st i moni al so he ca n t ouc h t he r e ader ’ s deep he ar t . He hope s t he r e a der a s t he j ur y of hi s cr i me wi l l not gi ve t hei r j udgme nt obj ect i ve l y. Af t er t he y r eadi ng t he st or y, he hopes t he y wi l l us e t hei r e mot i on t o make a deci s i on whe t her he i s gui l t y or not .