2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

off by three days’ (More, 2001). Yet there is much controversy regarding whether this was a product of Humbert or a discrepancy of Nabokov who is known to not stick to to dates. Some critics agree that the inconsistency of time is clearly an example of Humbert’s manipulation and relevant to the narrative; stating that the “crafty handling of date … un-tells Humbert’s tale … by exposing (his) cognitive unreliability” (Toker, 1989), hence demonstrating Humbert’s manipulation of the reader and of time. A more obvious sign that Humbert is a pathological liar is simply the fact that he constantly lies to other characters in the novel. For example, Humbert makes up an entire story regarding having his first encounter with Charlotte on a business trip to the USA and having commenced an affair with her, during the scene where the Farlows visit him after he is recently widowed. Humbert’s dishonest nature is further revealed where he deceitfully marries Charlotte to get closer to Lolita. This reveals how Humbert lies with ease in order to deceive and reach his goals of blending into regular society, revealing to the reader he is more than capable of lying for his own personal gain and creating a distrusting allusion of himself in the reader’s eyes revealing his unreliability. Several aesthetic features integrated throughout Humbert’s writing also point to Humbert attempting to ensure the reader trusts him via the use of manipulation. Initially, Humbert shows the desire to engage the reader by directly addressing them as “learned reader”, revealing he tends to think of his audience as part of an intellectual group, as well as this language being a form of flattery. ‘Humbert with his air of European sophistication, is trying to find common ground with the reader, showing that he wants them to identify with him’ (Wasmuth, 2009). Hence this makes one more willing to show mercy for his cause, by allowing the reader to participate instead of solely observe the story. Once again, this highlights to the reader how

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