Lolita

Humbert admits that marrying Charlotte to stay close to Lolita has crossed his mind. He realizes that such a marriage would allow him proximity to Lolita and considers drugging both Charlotte and Lolita with sleeping pills so he can touch Lolita while she sleeps.

At this point, he admits he will no longer insult Charlotte to the reader for the sake of honesty. He calls the camp and speaks with Lolita on the phone, as Charlotte has already departed. Humbert tells Lolita he will marry her mother, but she seems uninterested. He decides he can win her back. He makes a drink, awaiting Charlotte’s return; he rushes to greet her when she comes home and finds he has not left.

Humbert and Charlotte’s wedding is a “quiet affair,” as neither has long ties to Ramsdale and as Humbert wishes to expedite the affair. Charlotte is deeply religious which disturbs Humbert, especially when she says she will commit suicide if he does not believe in God. An article about their wedding is published in a local paper; he lies about how long they’ve known each other, but the story pleases Charlotte. He imagines the relationship will bring him closer to Lolita. At the same time, Charlotte becomes more interested in her life with him and begins to redecorate the house. Humbert notes that the books she reads have been replaced with home decorating magazines; he describes her newfound strong opinions about chairs. Charlotte does not have many friends in Ramsdale, but they socialize with the Farlows, who have a niece Lolita’s age named Rosaline. John Farlow, Humbert notes, gives Humbert the ammunition for the Colt pistol in his possession and teaches him how to use it. 

Humbert says that Charlotte will soon suffer an accident. He finds Charlotte to be extremely jealous—she asks him to describe all of his former lovers which he does by making up stories and characters derived from soap operas and novels. He gets used to Charlotte but thinks she hates Lolita and complains to himself of the way she talks about her daughter. When a letter from Lolita arrives from camp, Charlotte is upset at her writing skills, the fact she has lost a sweater, and the discovery that Humbert has been sending Lolita candy without her permission. 

During the summer, Humbert and Charlotte take trips to a nearby lake. On one such trip in late July, Charlotte tells Humbert she wishes to get a live-in maid who will stay in Lolita’s room, as she intends to send Lolita straight to boarding school. Humbert is upset but also afraid of Charlotte’s response when he interferes with the plan. With Valeria, he admits he would’ve twisted her wrist, but with Charlotte, he does not want to do anything that would change neither her image of him nor give away his interest in Lolita, interest that would make her end the relationship. He thinks about killing her at the lake and describes an elaborate plan to drown her only to admit that he just could not make himself go through with the act. This decision is lucky for him, as Jean Farlow is watching them from afar as she paints. She mentions seeing two young people by the water as well and then begins to tell “an indecent story” (89) that the dentist Ivor Quilty told her about his nephew the playwright, only to be interrupted by John. 

Humbert tries to give Charlotte the silent treatment, but he finds Charlotte just goes on talking. He finally puts his foot down when she announces her plan for the two of them to go to England in the fall. He says not all decisions can be made by her alone, and she drops to her knees and begs forgiveness. Satisfied to have regained some control in the relationship, Humbert spends more time in his den, which is his old room that has been converted into an office, working or pretending to work. Charlotte asks him why the drawer in the small table in his den is locked. He tells her it contains love letters, which upsets her. She asks if he might like to visit a nearby hotel called the Enchanted Hunters before asking what he would like for dinner. Upon leaving, he makes sure the key to the drawer is still hidden in the case of his old razor, wondering if the case is an adequate hiding spot given Charlotte’s tendency to snoop.

Lolita is denied entry at boarding school until January. Humbert feels lighter and starts making plans to drug both Charlotte and Lolita. He has been experimenting with sedatives and goes to visit his doctor to request stronger sleeping pills by faking insomnia. At home, he finds Charlotte writing letters. She quotes from his diary and tells him she is leaving him, but that he will never “see that miserable brat again” (96). He makes up a lie, claiming that the diary is part of a novel he is writing and decides he will try to charm her with Scotch whiskey. Before he gets a chance to lie to Charlotte, the phone rings. He finds out that Charlotte has just been hit by a car. 

Humbert runs outside to find Charlotte dead; a car swerved into her to avoid hitting a dog at the exact moment she tripped on wet cement. Her letters are given to Humbert who quietly and quickly tears them up in his pocket. One letter seems to be addressed to Lolita, telling her she needs to find the wool sweater she lost at camp; one is addressed to a boarding school; the last letter, to Humbert, implies, among other things, that she might give him a chance to reconcile their marriage in a few years.

Humbert begins drinking, and the Farlows visit. He shows them a photo of Charlotte and implies that it was taken many years ago when they had an affair during Charlotte’s marriage to Harold Haze. Jean assumes that Lolita must be Humbert’s biological daughter, which eliminates the need for anyone else to assume care of her. Humbert tells the Farlows he will pick up Lolita at camp and travel with her to California or New Mexico. He asks them not to tell Lolita that Charlotte has died and lies about her whereabouts. He cries at his fate while privately admitting that none of it would have happened were it not for the journal he should have destroyed. 

The driver who killed Charlotte comes over to apologize. Both men agree the accident was Charlotte’s fault, but Humbert takes the driver up on his disingenuous offer to cover funeral expenses. Humbert notes how much has happened in the ten weeks since he entered Ramsdale. As Humbert leaves for camp the next day, Jean Farlow kisses him, and he reminds the reader that he is quite attractive to ladies.