NPPF - preliminary

[Jasper Fidget]

The reasons for Hazel's suicide may be more complicated than
unattractiveness and social maladjustment (although statistics on suicide
rates among her demographic might imply their sufficiency).  There is reason
to believe Hazel suffers from some sort of mental illness: the Shades
believed their daughter's poltergeist incident was "an outward extension or
expulsion of insanity," but never had it diagnosed because they disliked
"modern voodoo-psychiatry" (p. 166).  (Granted this comes from Kinbote....)
There is reason to believe that Hazel's condition in many ways mirrors
Kinbote's (without going into Boyd's ghost theory for now): that isolation
leads to despair which leads to suicidal thoughts, so a better explanation
for Hazel's death might therefore be sought in Kinbote.  Schizophrenia might
be argued in both cases as well.  Ultimately, verisimilitude is a difficult
question when it comes to suicide: one of the main things family and friends
ask afterwards is "why?"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Morris [mailto:fqmorris at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 1:03 PM
> To: Jasper Fidget; pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: RE: NPPF - preliminary
> 
> 
> --- Jasper Fidget <jasper at hatguild.org> wrote:
> > Despite the linkage, I have trouble with Hazel as nymphet -- if anything
> she's more anti-nymphet, inspiring opposite reactions to those around her;
> it's
> her sense of extreme rejection that pushes her to the ice and not the
> extreme
> acceptance of a Humbert.
> 
> Here's another question re. Hazel:  Isn't the reason for her suicide a bit
> shallow?  Do we really want to buy into "not pretty" as a tragedy?
> Nabokov
> could have come up with any number of tragic circumstances for her torment
> besides this.
> 
> > Also, I can't say I agree that Lolita leads Humbert astray.  That puts a
> whole lot on the shoulders of an innocent little girl
> 
> Sure, but it's slightly implied in the text if I remember.  Also it fits
> the
> classic response of the pedophile after he's caught: " She/He wanted it."
> 
> Didn't that little girl on the Anubis want it?
> 
> David Morris
> 
> 
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