a DEEP DIVE into the METAPHYSICS of LOLITA and LANA DEL REY 🔮 [hidden references + analysis]

Lana del Rey has been no stranger to controversy when it comes to criticism of her adopted aesthetics and romanticization of the controversial novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Lolita and Lana del Rey share some major themes in common, however, with both Lolita and Lana's deeper philosophical meanings being overlooked due to the veneer of shock value. In this video, I perform literary analysis on Lolita by Nabokov and explore the deeper metaphysical themes of fate and free will, time and consciousness, mortality and the loss of innocence through the backdrop of Paradise Lost and Lana's music video Tropico. Before she was Lana del Rey, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Grant got her degree in metaphysics from Fordham University and has been obsessed with mortality since childhood, which greatly influences her art. By analysing her references to Lolita, Oscar Wilde, Paradise Lost, and more, we can get into a deeper philosophical discussion on aesthetic philosophy, aesthetic bliss, where the soul goes after death, and the psychology of Lolita and Lana's interpretations of Lolita. We talk about the nymphet aesthetic on Tumblr and the deification of Lolita. We also explore the literary references in Lolita to Plato, TS Eliot, John Milton, and more. This deep dive video essay took tons of research and I read Lolita four times before writing it so I hope it is appreciated!!

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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
3:44 Part One: Paradise Lost
19:37 Part Two: Burnt Notion Interlude
34:14 Part Three: Off to the Races
59:04 Part Four: Put Me in a Movie
1:14:39 Part Five: Peace by Vengeance
1:27:14 Part Six: Aesthetic Bliss vs Moral Controversy
2:02:00 Part Seven: the psychology of gr00ming
2:41:38 Patreon Announcement!

REFERENCES:
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
Invictus by William Henley
I Sing the Body Electric by Walt Whitman
Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Lolita 1997
Stanley Kubrick Lolita
Lana Del Rey (full discography) and unreleased tracks (youtube)
Oscar Wilde The Decay of Lying
Oscar Wilde Picture of Dorian Gray
Plato Phaedrus
Plato Symposium
Metamorphosis by Ovid
Nymphet Blogs, when Lolita gets a Tumblr by Mishka Hoosen
Bruce Wagner Lana del Rey Interview, Billboard https://www.billboard.com/music/music...
Shifting cultural narrative around lana del rey https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/10/3...
Plato and the body https://robinmarkphillips.com/plato-p....


MUSIC
Background music from maye or ‘mayejailer’ on youtube and nina sonhe
Unreleased track lyrics mentioned: smarty put me in a movie pawn shop blues hollywoods dead you can be my daddy lust for life demo queen of the gas station

JOIN MY PATREON HERE! https://www.patreon.com/c/ClaireCraig...