Clare Quilty Character Analysis in Lolita

A children’s playwright, child pornographer, and the novel’s villain. Quilty is Humbert Humbert’s double and spiritual twin: a fellow pedophile, writer, and brilliant student of literature. Quilty is not revealed as a major character until the end of the novel, but clues to his identity are strewn throughout the book. Lolita falls in love with Quilty, who helps her to escape from Humbert. But she then abandons Quilty when he asks her to perform in his pornographic films. Quilty himself, it turns out, is impotent. At the end of the novel, Humbert Humbert murders Quilty in his decadent manor house.

Clare Quilty Quotes in Lolita

The Lolita quotes below are all either spoken by Clare Quilty or refer to Clare Quilty. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Perversity, Obsession, and Art Theme Icon

We rolled all over the floor, in each other’s arms, like two huge helpless children. He was naked and goatish under his robe, and I felt suffocated as he rolled over me. I rolled over him. We rolled over me. They rolled over him. We rolled over us.

Related Characters: Humbert Humbert (speaker), Clare Quilty

Page Number and Citation: 299

Explanation and Analysis:

Clare Quilty Character Timeline in Lolita

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

Exile, Homelessness and Road Narratives Theme Icon

...copies a “dazzling coincidence”—a section of a book containing a mention of a man named Clare Quilty. Quilty is a dramatist known for his work with a certain Vivian Darkbloom writing... (full context)

...his name written next to a handsome male face, and another depicting a famous playwright, Clare Quilty. His snooping is interrupted by a call from the maid, Louise, the only other... (full context)

...author is, and she responds that it’s some old woman, someone with the first name Clare. (full context)

...Lolita to see a play in Wace, Nebraska. The play is by Vivian Darkbloom and Clare Quilty. As they stand up to leave, Humbert becomes concerned: Lolita is beaming at the... (full context)

...identity of the man who took her away. Initially reluctant, she finally reveals his name: Clare Quilty, the author of The Enchanted Hunters. Quilty, who had been a friend of Charlotte’s,... (full context)

Humbert is heartbroken when Lolita comments that Quilty is the only man she ever loved. Humbert can see that she only considers him... (full context)

...Ramsdale. In a secluded spot along the way, he practices his marksmanship, preparing to confront Quilty. His car gets stuck in the mud of a dirt road, but a wrecker pulls... (full context)

Finally, Humbert visits the local dentist, Ivor Quilty. Ivor is Clare’s uncle, something Humbert has learned from his conversation with Lolita. After offering... (full context)

Humbert Humbert leaves Ramsdale and drives to Clare Quilty’s house—Pavor Manor—on Grimm Road. He arrives at night, and many cars are parked outside.... (full context)

...every door and pocketing every key he finds left in its lock: he doesn’t want Quilty to hole himself up in a room. While he’s walking toward a third bathroom, Quilty... (full context)

Humbert Humbert departs Quilty’s manor. He leaves his raincoat and the murder weapon behind. No longer caring what happens... (full context)

Clare Quilty Character Analysis

Clare Quilty Quotes in Lolita

Part 2, Chapter 35 Quotes

Clare Quilty Character Timeline in Lolita