Valeria Character Analysis in Lolita

Humbert Humbert’s first wife. She is a Polish woman in Paris who paints in the Cubist style. Humbert marries her as an outlet for his uncontrollable desires. Though she is not a nymphet, she often acts like a little girl, which he finds attractive. Just before they are to leave Paris for the U.S., Valeria leaves Humbert Humbert for Maximovich. Valeria and Maximovich die as test subjects in a humiliating experiment in California.

Valeria Character Timeline in Lolita

The timeline below shows where the character Valeria appears in Lolita. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...sex and domestic life will help him to control his desire for nymphets. He chooses Valeria, the daughter of a Polish doctor who is treating him for dizziness. Valeria is an... (full context)

Suburbia and American Consumer Culture Theme Icon

Humbert Humbert describes his brief marriage to Valeria, which lasts from 1935 to 1939. Though she is in her late twenties, he is... (full context)

Life and Literary Representation Theme Icon

...clothes, books, and other items. When he dreams about her, she is strangely mixed with Valeria and her mother, Charlotte. Humbert writes a long poem about Lolita, begging her to reveal... (full context)