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4.2. The Analysis of Moral Values through Main Characters in Vladimir Nabokov s Lolita
The main discussion here is about moral values focuses on the main character in this novel. This chapter will identified and analyzed two problems about moral values in
main characters found from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov entitled Lolita.
4.2.1. Lolita is treated morally bad By Humbert
When people evaluate actions from the moral point of view, people can do this in two very different ways. They can consider them as morally right or wrong, but they can
also judge them morally good or bad. Even though the distinction between right and good is generally recognized by moral philosophers, there is a tendency in contemporary
ethics either to oversimplify it or to blur it altogether. Most philosophers focus on motives when they investigate this problem. There are other good making factors and
moreover, that all of them are traits of the agent s personality. The moral worth of actions depends on more than motivation or the agent s character, that no factors other
than personality traits determine the moral worth of actions. There are some moral values that writer wants described in this thesis, there are rudeness, and raped.
4.2.1.1. Rudeness
Rudeness is normally viewed as a moral failing; moreover, it is generally thought to be on the rise, but there is time which is excusable or even justified. Rudeness also
called impudence or effrontery is a display of disrespect by not complying with the social laws or etiquette of a group or culture. These laws have been established as the
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essential boundaries of normally accepted behavior. To be unable or unwilling to align ones behavior with these laws known to the general population of what is socially
acceptable is to be rude. Rudeness constituted by deviation from whatever counts as politic in a given
social context, is inherently confrontational and disruptive to social equilibrium Kasper, 1990, p. 208. Forms of rudeness: inconsiderate, insensitive, deliberately
offensive, impolite, a faux pas, obscenity, profanity, violating taboos, and deviancy. In some cases, an act of rudeness can go so far as to be criminal behavior.
Humbert s rudeness is very visible in this novel. He cannot control himself. His story begins with his childhood, living on the Riviera with his father, who owns a hotel
in the area. Although he does not get to spend much time with his father, he entertains himself with the guests that would stay at the hotel. One of the guests has a daughter
name Annabel Leigh, which Humbert developed a relationship with. They spend a lot of time together but never consummating their relationship, leaving Humbert
heartbroken and yearning for that experience desperately. Annabel death is what makes his life changed. Humbert matures and becomes a teacher, but can t shake is attraction
for little girls, he calls nymphets, for they remind him of Annabel. His sexual acts with Annabel were never fully satisfied, leaving a perpetual desire for young girls, fulfilled
only when he falls for Lolita. Once in America, on the advice of a friend, Humbert takes up residence in the
town of Ramsdale; he rents a room in a house owned by Charlotte Haze and her daughter, Dolores also known, in Humberts mind, as Lolita. He immediately becomes
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obsessed with the 12-year-old Lolita, a nymphet who reminds him of Annabel. Charlotte and Lolita do not get along at all, however, and Charlotte decides to send Lolita off to
summer camp followed by boarding school. Meanwhile, Charlotte proposes marriage to Humbert. Despite his great dislike for her, Humbert readily accepts, because the
marriage will give him the opportunity to be with Lolita at all times. After the married, lolita s mother died because of an accident. It makes humbert happy because he can be
with his dtep daughter, Dolores Haze or he always calls her Lolita. His rudeness is he claims to have loved only Lolita, and his obsession eventually
consumes him. He claims Lolita seduced him and that she is incomplete control of the relationship. However, Humbert, as the adult, clearly has the upper hand. He controls the
money and Lolita s freedom, and he often repeats that Lolita has nowhere to go if she leaves him and sometimes he slap Lolita because he can control her. Humbert always
threaten Lolita to be able control her in order to keeps her in submission and passable temper.
through thick and thin I will stay your guardian, and if you are good. I hope a court may legalize
that guardianship before long. nabokov, 1977: 150
He threaten lolita if she cannot be a good girl, he will send her to orphanage or become the ward of the Department of Public Welfare. By rubbing all this, he succeeded
in terrorizing lo. Humbert claims that his feelings for Lolita are rooted in love, not lust, but his self-delusion prevents him from making this case convincingly. Alternately
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slavish and domineering, Humbert has little control over his feelings and impulses. He never considers the morality of his actions, and he refuses to acknowledge that Lolita
may not share his feelings. As his relationship with Lolita deteriorates, Humbert becomes more and more controlling of her and less and less in control of himself.
4.2.1.2. Rape
Rape is an act of sexual intercourse with another person by force in order to get sexual satisfaction while. The women, of course, is very troubled by the act of rape is
indeed ancestors since time immemorial there. Rapists are generally male and target isnot only women, but also young girls including minors who sometimes become
victims. Rape must be proven the element of violence or threat of violence such as threatened was about to be killed, injured or deprived of other rights. Acts of violence
or threat of violence was used as a road or a part of the act that targets facilitate the sexual intercourse. Additionally violence or threat of violence that is only true outside of
matrimony. There are some types of rape, regarding a criminologist Mulyana W. Kusuma said as follows: Abdul Wahid, 2001:46:
1. Exploitation rape which shows that on each occasion of sexual intercourse obtained by men by taking advantage contrary to the position of women who
depend on them economically and socially. 2. Victim Precipitated Rape That a rape had occurred in progress by putting the
victim as originators. 3. Anger rape which is characterized by sexual abuse sexuality as a means to
express and vent pent furious and angry. As if the body of the victim here is the
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object of the offender who is projecting the solution to the frustrations, weaknesses, difficulties and disappointments of his life.
4. Domination Rape that is a rape that occurred when the perpetrator tried to staunch the power and superiority of the victim. The goal is a sexual conquest;
actors hurt the victim, but still have the desire to have sex. 5. A Seductive Rape is a rape that occurred in stimulating situations created by
both parties. At first, the victim decided that personal intimacy should not be restricted as far as mating. Actors generally have a belief requires coercion,
because without it have no guilt regarding sex. 6. Sadistic rape this means that the type of aggressive sexuality and combined in
the form of the damage. Rape has not seemed to enjoy erotic pleasure through sexual intercourse, but through a terrible attack on the genitals and the victims
body. In this thesis, rape by Humbert to Lolita is exploitation rape. He is Lolita s step
father, so he thinks he can do everything to Lolita. He forces Lolita to have sex with him. And sometimes if Lolita does not want to have sex with him he threats her.
Humbert knows the punishment if he raped Lolita, his maximum penalty ten years in the prison.
A minor female, who allows a person over twenty one to know her carnally, involves her victim into statutory rape,
or second degree sodomy, depending on the technique;
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and the maximum penalty is ten years. nabokov, 1977: 151 But with his word, he can make Lolita afraid if he goes to jail. Lolita horrible life
was began. Humbert also take advantage of this opportunity, Humbert always asking her to have sex with Lolita sometimes forcing her. If she refused, Humbert was threatening.
Lolita could not do anything because hes an orphan, Humbert only one who she had. She should do what Humbert want, because its just thats the only way to survive. Lolita
has been raped for 3 years but nothing could be done. And sometimes Humbert hits her because she cannot be regulated. Every night during they live nomad, Lolita always
crying and lamenting her fate. Some effect of the raped to Lolita are Being a trauma in men and sexual
relationships, Mentally damaging for a child not yet know the sex time and be an extortion, stress to be mentally ill, Injury or injured by persecution, Losing virginity
chastity. One of the quotations states about Lolita be extortion can be seen in the following quotation.
she proved to be a cruel negotiator whenever it was in her power to deny me certain life wrecking, strange, slow paradisal philters
without which I could live more than a few days in a row, and which, because of the very nature of love s langour, I couldnot
obtain force her.Nabokov, 1977: 184
Lolita started controlling Humbert life, because Humbert is getting crazy about her, Lolita wear her body to threaten and extort Humbert. Lolita extorts Humbert by way
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of asking for more pocket money, if Humbert does not give it then she did not want to flirt with him.
4.2.2. Lolita survives with the circumstance of her life