How does Humbert’s marriage to Valeria foreshadow his relationships with Charlotte and Lolita? How does the revelation of Valeria’s infidelity prepare us for Lolita’s elopement with Quilty? Why does Humbert respond so differently to these betrayals?
The marriage to Valeria is a meaningless model for Charlotte and Lolita.
Valeria’s infidelity, almost a farcical betrayal, acts like a tremor before the earthquake of Lolita’s escape.
Humbert’s different reactions reveal his increasing emotional involvement and loss of control.
Nabokov represents Humbert’s path from disconnected manipulator to jealous, murderous, and obsessive, exposing his self-serving fantasies underlying his narrative.