FINAL

RUSS 240/ENGL 242/HONORS 212/CLIT 396/RUSS 543/ENGL 550

Due: Tuesday, June 6, 2017, 5 pm

1. Please analyze the characters of Humbert Humbert

and Lolita in all their complexity. Are they well-drawn, fully-fledged,
convincingly “real” characters? Is their relationship psychologically
“plausible” and well motivated? Is any of it based on true “love”? Are
there any instances where you feel sympathy for HH and lack of
sympathy for Lolita? In your discussion please use at least 2 critical
sources/articles among those we read on Lolita. Feel free to use
additional ones. Required length: 3-4 double-space pages; Honors 212—
4-5pp. 40 points.

2. Either:
A. Consumerism in Lolita. How is it portrayed (give specific examples)?
Do you think it’s a good representation of that age? Are Charlotte,
Lolita, and Humbert all equally consumerist? How is what is described
in Lolita different from the consumerism today? Is consumerism always
bad? In your analysis please use at least 2 critical articles among
those we have read on Lolita. Feel free to use additional ones.
Required length: 3-4 double-space pages; Honors 212— 4-5pp. 40
points.
Or:

B. Mother-daughter relationship in Lolita and Ulysses. How different?

How similar? How “biased” or accurate? Also how “typical” among
other literary works you have read? In your analysis please use at least
2 critical articles among those we have read on Lolita. Feel free to
use additional ones. Required length: 3-4 double-space pages; Honors
212— 4-5pp. 40 points.

3. Which episode of Ulysses that we have read was your

favorite and why? Please be specific about your reasons and give
generous examples. Required length: 2 double-space pages; Honors 212
— 3p. 20 points.

BONUS (1-2 PP) FOR UP TO ADDITIONAL 5 POINTS. CAN BE

DONE WITH BOTH EXAMS AND PAPERS. Which of the three films
we have watched at significant length — “The Dead,” “Lolita” (1962)
and “Lolita” (1997) — appeared to you to be the most accurate and
respectful representation of the works on which they were based and
why?

*************************************************************
PAPERS

DEFAULT TOPICS FOR PAPERS (FOR “W”; 12-15 pp; FOR

GRADS, 15-20 pp):

HERE ARE THREE PAPER TOPICS ONE OF WHICH YOU SHOULD

CHOOSE IF, PRIOR TO TUESDAY, MAY 30, YOU HAVE NOT RUN
YOUR OWN “W” OR GRAD TOPIC BY ME AND GOT MY
PERMISSION TO USE IT.

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USE AS MANY CRITICAL SOURCES AS YOU SEE FIT (BUT: A
MINIMUM OF 3 FOR “W”), BOTH AMONG THOSE WE HAVE
READ, AND THOSE FOUND THROUGH YOUR OWN RESEARCH.

1. MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP IN ULYSSES

AND LOLITA (MOLLY-MILLY AND CHARLOTTE-
LOLITA. PLEASE ALSO ADDRESS WHETHER IT IS FAIR,
IN YOUR OPINION, TO SUSPECT AN ELEMENT OF AN
INCESTUAL IMPROPRIETY IN HOW BLOOM IS THINKING
ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER, AND HOW THAT COMPARES TO
HH.)

2. JOYCE VERSUS NABOKOV: WHO, IN YOUR

OPINION, IS A MORE ORIGINAL OR
GROUNDBREAKING WRITER OF THE 20TH
CENTURY, AND WHY? (HERE MAKE SURE YOU DO A
THOROUGH COMPARISON OF LOLITA AND ULYSSES IN
PARTICULAR, AND GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF THEIR
INNOVATIVE LITERARY AND NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES,
USE OF STRONG AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ELEMENTS,
WHAT THEY SEE AS “DETACHMENT,” WIT, IRONY, ETC)

3. ULYSSES AND LOLITA AS “PICARESQUE” NOVELS.

(BOTH NOVELS DESCRIBE THE PROTAGONISTS’
TRAVELS. HOW ARE THESE TRAVELS DIFFERENT?
WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE? WHAT CAN ONE LEARN
“FACTUALLY” ABOUT DUBLIN IN ULYSSES AND THE
UNITED STATES IN LOLITA? CAN YOU TELL THAT IN
ONE CASE IT’S THE COUNTRY ONE WAS BORN INTO,
AND, IN THE OTHER, THE ACQUIRED ONE? ARE BOTH
HH AND BLOOM “THE OTHER” IN THESE COUNTRIES?
WHY? WHAT ABOUT STEPHEN?)

IMPORTANT:
DO ALL THREE PROMPTS! 3-4 PP. MEANS AT LEAST 3
FULL PAGES

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HARD COPIES ONLY!

DUE BY 5 PM (MY MAIL BOX IN THE DEPARTMENT,

PADEL A210, or BOX OUTSIDE OF MY OFFICE, PADEL
A219). NO LATE EXAMS

GOOGLE ALL YOU WANT BUT NO CUT AND PASTE OR

CLOSE PARAPHRASE!

MATTERS OF STYLE:
PROOFREAD VERY CAREFULLY, PAY GREAT
ATTENTION TO THE PRECISION AND CLARITY OF YOUR
WRITING. KEEP THE QUOTES TO A MINIMUM; JUST THE
ESSENTIALS. DO CONSULT THE MLA GUIDELINES.
HERE IS ONE SITE FOR THEM:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
MAKE SURE YOU PAGINATE (PUT PAGE #S) YOUR
EXAMS. PLEASE STAPLE THE WHOLE EXAM JUST ONCE,
AS OPPOSED TO STAPLING EACH PROMPT (WE
USUALLY REDO IT SINCE IT'S CONFUSING AND MORE
EASILY MISPLACED).

ENJOY!