Lolita is only subversive for elderly church going moms who understand a man is subverting a child, anyway.
I remember it as a lesson on self-control, child mindset (they are in a phase where they can manipulate dishonestly but also quickly move on like nothing has consequences), a road trip of the US, a lesson on obsessive passion, on one-sided escalation of obsession.
I read it on the advice of my dad around 16, and I had to admit this was absolute beauty, the main character being French like me helped also. There is nothing to censor, there is nothing to discuss: it can be read by children as a warning, it can be read by teenagers as a disturbing challenge, it can be read by adults as entertainment.
Only in the US do people discuss these things like it's a big deal, it's just the story of a lost man who got manipulated by a airhead child and fell in a criminal trap of his own making to end up with absolutely nothing to show for.
BTW western society doesn't exist. Americans should stop using this word to describe their own ways. We don't, everywhere west of China, agree on the definition of what is proper, what is censorship, what is society and how being west of China should impact how we group with others. So American society is unsustainable, but I'd like to argue that French society has an opinion on the balance of such things that works for us. It involves teaching limits openly and early, embrace free expression is a fantasy and explain why, and not shy away from re-discussing each instance of each issue together and publicly.
I'm still trying to differentiate the difference between Western and American culture. As a general rule, the content that floats here about the rest of the world is either extremely stereotyped or with a severe agenda attached.
To the end of that, I believe almost everything in your last paragraph, with some clarifications as an American:
- Americans are highly ethnocentric relative to the rest of the world. It's because this country is the size of Europe, and its relative newness has made very little variance between, say, Kansas and Wyoming as opposed to, say, France and Germany. Thousands of years of horse-drawn travel have crafted your country's culture, while most of this country has had steam power, especially when you head westward.
- The actual meaning of "Western Society", at least as I defaulted to using it, is to draw a political dichotomy to "Other Societies". Frankly, I think elements of all cultures are useful, but this two-party system over here removes any sense of subtlety to the dialogue.
- I believe that protecting innocence is a losing bet, so I personally give my kids all the information as much as possible. To most Americans, that's offensive because they believe I'm somehow scarring them.
I remember it as a lesson on self-control, child mindset (they are in a phase where they can manipulate dishonestly but also quickly move on like nothing has consequences), a road trip of the US, a lesson on obsessive passion, on one-sided escalation of obsession.
I read it on the advice of my dad around 16, and I had to admit this was absolute beauty, the main character being French like me helped also. There is nothing to censor, there is nothing to discuss: it can be read by children as a warning, it can be read by teenagers as a disturbing challenge, it can be read by adults as entertainment.
Only in the US do people discuss these things like it's a big deal, it's just the story of a lost man who got manipulated by a airhead child and fell in a criminal trap of his own making to end up with absolutely nothing to show for.
BTW western society doesn't exist. Americans should stop using this word to describe their own ways. We don't, everywhere west of China, agree on the definition of what is proper, what is censorship, what is society and how being west of China should impact how we group with others. So American society is unsustainable, but I'd like to argue that French society has an opinion on the balance of such things that works for us. It involves teaching limits openly and early, embrace free expression is a fantasy and explain why, and not shy away from re-discussing each instance of each issue together and publicly.