Constructing Sexuality
After visiting the Museum of Sex in combination with reading Lolita and this weeks documents I have noticed a strong trend in sexuality -the attempt to construct some ideal that arises from an illusion/fantasy. In the museum I was struck by the simulator in the BDSM exhibit on the second floor. This sort of “create your own” sex encounter seemed an interesting reflection of technology’s impact on popular culture. After reading part one of Lolita and the documents in Peiss’ book, though, it became evident that constructing sex isn’t new and it certainly isn’t a direct reflection of technology’s ability to more accurately turn fantasy into reality.
First, I have to say that reading Lolita has been an interesting, thought-provoking, and conflicting experience. It’s certainly a page-turner, but a page turner that’s left me wondering why I’m so completely enthralled by such a taboo and “inappropriate” representation of sexuality. I’m certain this reaction will come up among others and we’ll discuss it more in class so I won’t talk much about it here. What I am interested in, though, in line with the general train of thought for this post, is the way that Humbert is so deeply caught up in illusion/fantasy. I’m not sure what this means about pedophilia or about sexuality in general, but the idea of constructing reality comes up in Foucault as well.
Humbert is completely obsessed with the love of his youth to the point that it drives his sexual impulses to recapture the only moment of true bliss he had in his life. Disturbing as his love for Lolita is, it seems to me, especially because the story is told from Humbert’s retrospective perspective, that Humbert exists in a very dream-like state. His notion of reality is far from lucid, which offers explanation, though not excuse for his delusions of love for Lolita. He explains that he, “broke her [Annabel] spell by incarting her in another” (19). This idea of incarnation, creation and the blurring between fantasy and reality is an interesting take on the way sexuality has been deployed far beyond the realm of academic discourse and has become deeply engrained in our psyche.
The fact that Humbert further distances himself from reality by coining youthful “seductresses” like Lolita “nymphets.” This seems to comfort him in moments of awareness that his actions/desires are not acceptable. This points to an interesting play of power that occurs not among society and sexuality but within the self. It is interesting to consider the way that fantasy shapes notions of reality and the way that sexuality underlies those notions. From the way we see the structure of social relationships to the way we justify or reject the actions of ourselves or others.
Humbert’s reflections point again to the power of fantasy or ideal in shaping ideas about sexuality when he comments, “as I watched, with the stark lucidity of a future recollection (you know – trying to see things as you will remember having seen them)” (107). This is an interesting idea about the way that memory can influence ideals to the point that in the very act of remembering we might create a notion so perfect that it is no longer even close to the original moment, person, place, etc we are trying to hold on to in our heads. This quest for perfection, for a fantasy that could again be made real proves dangerous, though, which points to the intense power interplay at work within and also the sweeping cultural anxiety about sexuality.
Sexuality is a strong agent in shaping personality as well as social structure. It really does seem to be everywhere. Even in the documents from the early 20th century there are clear examples of the way sexuality shapes different elements of popular culture. Interestingly enough, though, popular culture also pushes back on sexuality and shapes it as well. I think this is an excellent example of power relations in sexuality as Foucault discusses. It is not that the media or censorship repressed sexuality, but rather the media and society were and still are in a complex power relationship which shapes sexuality in many ways across different spheres.
Tags: Fantasy, Foucault, Lolita, Power-Relations, The Deployment of Sexuality
