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"a liberal person" - Brown supplement-


ldh8504 8 / 16  
Dec 21, 2009   #1
1. Tell us about an intellectual experience, project, class, or book that has influenced or inspired you.

I often regarded myself as a liberal person, not so much bounded to stereotypes and social expectations. One day, however, I couldn't help but cast a doubt to this self-awareness as soon as I started to read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, a story of a middle aged man's craving toward a girl. Could I really accept this book as a pure literary work, of a passionate love, over my uncomfortable feelings? What would I get from this adulterous story? Feeling like committing a crime, I gradually put myself into the story with seething heart.

At the beginning of Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Humbert, the main character, falls for a young girl who is enough to be his daughter-- or even granddaughter. Such an unconventional theme was quite suggestive, as society expects two people in a relationship to be of a similar age. "What a perverted lunatic!" I exclaimed in a small voice, imagining this guy's following young girl with his corrupted eyes. His mad admiration for Lo, calling her as his "light of life, fire of loins, sin, and soul," and his masochistic self-deprecation reinforced my belief.

Over the time, I felt myself limitlessly absorbed in the character, and I finally became Humbert himself. Looking Lo's corrupted, angelic eyes vividly, I couldn't help but understood the beauty of Humbert's fervent admiration for Lo which I was uncomfortable with at the beginning; the more I read, the more I was astonished to feel the daunting weigh of this passionate love. When Humbert admitted the fact that Lolita would never love him, I was mesmerized with his ineffable sad obsession; whenever he said "oh my little nymphet, my corrupted goddess (Nabokov 228)," I felt my heart hurt with even more complicated emotions, that I could not explain. By the end of the book, I felt like I just rode the biggest rollercoaster, of emotion, in the world. The fascination I felt about this love sometimes led me to sympathize with him, sometimes evoked nausea, and occasionally caused me to feel his frustration. These various waves of emotions were something that I had never experienced before.

There have been countless books in which I have earned moral,
educational, or social lessons. However, no book had so challenged my belief and hardened my self-awareness through the challenge: yes, I could accept Lolita as a pure literary work, of a passionate love and scathing emotions, keeping my prejudice about the taboo of a man's love toward a young girl aside: I didn't care if Humbert was over a hundred years old or something-it just didn't matter, because no book but Lolita had absorbed me so deeply, introducing me to the world of seething emotions; and without a doubt, this book elevated the depth of my emotional experience significantly, and hardened my self-identification at the same time.

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i am not really crazy about my essay, because i can't hear much of my voice. How can i improve this voice problem? help!!!
qianmeimei 3 / 14  
Dec 21, 2009   #2
I heard you voice~ a good writing,really.

But from my prospective,it seems that you could not accept the story because you didnot understand the character well at first.Before long, however, I found myself feeling differently about Humbert, as I was more absorbed in the character, and finally became Humbert himself.

So I think it is not strong enough to prove the influences on you.
youself did not change much after your reading, you are always a liberal person.
Maybe more specific details of the influences could make it better~~

Good luck!
twizzlestraw 12 / 95  
Dec 21, 2009   #3
I really like your essay!
The only critique is that you don't really deal with the whole self-identification thing, other than stating it taught me about self-identity. I can definantly see how you were enriched emotionally, but I don't clearly see how you gained more self-awareness.

Other than that great job!

CanCould I really accept this book as a pure literary work, of a passionate love, over my uncomfortable feelings?

His mad admiration for Lo, "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta (Nabokov 156)," and his self-deprecation, which is almost masochistic, reinforced my belief.Are you trying to intergrate this quote? If so, what you did wasn't very effective. Perhaps you should just introduce the quote and then use a colon.

There have been countless books that taught me or in which I have learned moral, educational, or social lessons.

Would you mind looking over mine?
THANKS!
OP ldh8504 8 / 16  
Dec 21, 2009   #4
Thank you for your criticism! i am surprised that you picked the exact part that i was concerned with.. and surely, i am gonna read yours;) thank you alot.
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Dec 23, 2009   #5
What would I get from this adulterous story?

Well, you can't really call the story adulterous. The story didn't cheat on anyone... What would I get from this story about adultery?

Instead of "liberal person" you might want to use the term nonconformist. Or you might like the term "unconventional thinker." These are just ideas... liberal person works, too.

Feeling like I was committing a crime, I gradually put myself into the story with seething heart.

No comma is necessary here:
...felt my heart hurt with even more complicated emotions that I could not explain.
cattiesim - / 3  
Dec 23, 2009   #6
emotional roller coaster is a cliche! Avoid it! Reword that and then it's good.


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