Research Article

‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955)

Number: 28 October 30, 2024
TR EN

‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955)

Abstract

‘The Call is Coming from inside the House’ trope, emblematic of betrayal, has permeated both visual and written narratives, evoking dread and questioning characters’ innocence. This paper critically explores the fear instilled by the stranger danger narrative, juxtaposing it with Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita (1955) to underline the insidious nature of domestic abuse. While once a potent social warning, the overuse of the trope has desensitised audiences to domestic violence, rendering it banal. The narrative unpacks how social conditioning perpetuates fear, particularly among women and girls, confining them indoors with potential abusers. Drawing parallels between the narrative of Lolita and real-life instances of grooming and abuse, the paper elucidates how abusers manipulate victims into complicity. By examining Lolita as a lens through which to understand social dynamics, the paper prompts a revaluation of cultural tropes and their implications for gender relations and individual autonomy. Through Humbert Humbert’s manipulation of Lolita’s memories and perceptions, the paper highlights the pervasive control exerted by abusers. The paper advocates for a multilayered understanding of fear and safety, challenging the narratives that perpetuate gender-based violence. It critiques social responses to stranger danger, arguing that they perpetuate victim-blaming culture and fail to address root causes. By unpacking the parallels between the patriarchal culture and grooming tactics, the paper finally exposes the false security offered by domesticity, as in Lolita.

Keywords

Project Number

Gerekmemektedir

References

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  2. Brunvand, J. H. (1981). The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings. W. W. Norton & Company.
  3. Clover, C. J. (1992). Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Princeton University Press.
  4. Coleman, R. R. M. (2011). Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present. Routledge.
  5. Ciment, J. (2024). Consent: A Memoir. Pantheon.
  6. Dodd, V. (2020, February 5). Police uncovering “epidemic of Child abuse” in 1970s and 80s. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/05/police-uncovering-epidemic-of-child-abuse-in-1970s-and-80s
  7. Femicide Epidemic. Sanctuary for Families. https://sanctuaryforfamilies.org/femicide-epidemic/
  8. Greer, G. (1999). The Whole Women. Doubleday.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

British and Irish Language, Literature and Culture

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Melissa Aleyna Petts This is me
0009-0006-5709-6527
United Kingdom

Early Pub Date

October 27, 2024

Publication Date

October 30, 2024

Submission Date

May 15, 2024

Acceptance Date

September 22, 2024

Published in Issue

Year 2024 Number: 28

APA
Petts, M. A., & Şentürk, S. (2024). ‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955). Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 28, 152-162. https://doi.org/10.29029/busbed.1484431
AMA
1.Petts MA, Şentürk S. ‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955). Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2024;(28):152-162. doi:10.29029/busbed.1484431
Chicago
Petts, Melissa Aleyna, and Selçuk Şentürk. 2024. “‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955)”. Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, nos. 28: 152-62. https://doi.org/10.29029/busbed.1484431.
EndNote
Petts MA, Şentürk S (October 1, 2024) ‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955). Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 28 152–162.
IEEE
[1]M. A. Petts and S. Şentürk, “‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955)”, Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 28, pp. 152–162, Oct. 2024, doi: 10.29029/busbed.1484431.
ISNAD
Petts, Melissa Aleyna - Şentürk, Selçuk. “‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955)”. Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 28 (October 1, 2024): 152-162. https://doi.org/10.29029/busbed.1484431.
JAMA
1.Petts MA, Şentürk S. ‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955). Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2024;:152–162.
MLA
Petts, Melissa Aleyna, and Selçuk Şentürk. “‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955)”. Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 28, Oct. 2024, pp. 152-6, doi:10.29029/busbed.1484431.
Vancouver
1.Melissa Aleyna Petts, Selçuk Şentürk. ‘THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’: SURVEYING THE FEAR FACTOR OF STRANGER DANGER THROUGH THE LENS OF NABOKOV’S LOLITA (1955). Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2024 Oct. 1;(28):152-6. doi:10.29029/busbed.1484431