A2. Ethics and Aesthetics in Nabokov’s Lolita

At once seductive and perverse, beautiful, and vulgar, Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 classic remains one of the most celebrated – and controversial – novels of the 20^th century. In this course, we will explore the dichotomy between ethics and aesthetics in the novel and consider the ethical question posed by Nabokov throughout what has been called, despite its depiction of pedophilia, “the only convincing love story of our century.”

INSTRUCTOR: Christina Graziano graduated from Assumption University in 2010, magna cum laude, with a degree in political science. She received her law degree from Suffolk University in 2013 and currently works as an attorney specializing in mass torts, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and sexual assault cases. She loves 19th and 20th century Russian literature and spends every spare minute of her life reading.

REQUIRED BOOKS Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov, Vintage ISBN: 9780679723165