The word red is used 58 times throughout the novel “Lolita”. It is used to describe rocks, hair, lips, a ribbon in black hair, an estampe, comics, the god Priap, candy, finger nail polish, an Eden apple, candles, the sun of desire, the evening sun, a robe, a big mouth, a private plane, the evening sun, a hideous fire hydrant, swimming suits, little apple clothing, a stop light, a rippling pool, an overstuffed armchair, a road, a cheek, bluffs, Lo’s cap, shorts, a sweater, an eye, a hand, hunters’ caps, stained teeth, a mountain’s name, an icebox, little European people, a convertible, a boat, the hair of a fellow, a ball, bathing briefs, a bra, a uvula, the roof of a house, a fiend, an underlip, mud, tail-lights, a mirror, a ticket, the windows of Pavor Manor, and a random light. This list doesn’t even include the number of times he used words that have the same meaning as the color red, such as rubious, blush, brick, burgundy, cardinal, carmine, cerise, cherry, chestnut, claret, copper, coral, crimson, florid, flushed, fuchsia, garnet, geranium, inflamed, infrared, magenta, maroon, pink, puce, rose, roseate, rosy, rubicund, ruby, ruddy, rufescent, russet, rust, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, titian, vermilion, wine. So why does Nabokov have such a fixation on the color red, in its many forms and slight repetitions?
One reason is that red is the color of passion. Whether it imbues one with feelings of extreme rage or extreme love, it gives whatever it represents a power that it would not otherwise have if it remained colorless. Even more, if it were another color it still would not hold the same effect. Studies have indicated that red carries the strongest reaction of all the colors, with the level of reaction decreasing gradually with orange, yellow, and white, respectively.The reader knows that, by something being the color red, they are supposed to feel something, be moved in even the slightest way, by that red thing. For example, the sexuality behind red lips, red bras, red mouths, or red people hold a certain power over the reader as they pass over the words in their journey through the novel.
Along the same lines of being representative to passion, red also represents heat of any kind, whether it be body heat, weather temperatures, or emotional fire. Both passion symbolism and heat symbolism surrounding the color red originate from the blood of the human body. Blood turns the face red when a person becomes angry or emotional, and also heats up as it flows quickly through the body. The heated blood, sex, and sin associated with the color red play a large role in the morality of the characters in “Lolita”. In the KJV of the Bible, Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” Perhaps Nabokov uses these associations and relations between the body, blood, passion, heat, sin, and the red hues of so many things to instill a connection with the readers via their own experiences with the power of red in our world. At the very least, Nabokov used the color red to give validation to the emotions felt by Humbert Humbert, amongst other characters, in this novel.
In many cultures, the relationship between color and craftsmanship, color and art, color and poetry, and color and custom are very close and unbreakable. Nabokov most certainly knew the power of red, in art (and in the world) while working on the stylization of his novel “Lolita”, this much is obvious.
The color has also been widely used as a danger signal, in stop signs, to warn people of extreme heat or flammability, and even to signal warnings in sports such as soccer. So perhaps this idea of red as a warning throughout the novel was an intentional ploy given to us by the mighty enchanter himself, giving a sign of caution not only to the readers, but also to the devilish characters within the novel.
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