A Study of Two Quiltys: On Kubrick’s Adaptation of Lolita into a Black Comedy

Abstract

The character Quilty plays an important role in determining what it is that sets Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita apart as a black comedic adaptation of Nabokov’s novel. In order to better understand this role, this paper juxtaposes Nabokov’s Quilty with Kubrick’s Quilty and discusses both versions of the character in relation to adaptation theory as well as other papers that have been written on the subject of Kubrick’s Lolita, and concludes that in Kubrick's film Quilty functions as a menacing threat and comedic foil to Humbert as well as a metaphor for Kubrick’s power as a director. In relation to this, intertextuality is also discussed, as helps provide more insight into Kubrick’s film as a comedic adaptation of Nabokov’s Lolita.