▁sympath ize ▁with ▁Hum bert . ▁Hum bert ▁is ▁port rayed ▁as ▁someone ▁urb ane ▁and ▁s oph istic ated ▁tra pped ▁in ▁a ▁provincial ▁small ▁town ▁populated ▁by ▁slightly ▁le cher ous ▁people , ▁a ▁refuge e ▁from ▁Old ▁World ▁Europe ▁in ▁an ▁especially ▁cr ass ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World . ▁For ▁example , ▁L ol ita ' s ▁piano ▁teacher ▁comes ▁across ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁ag gress ive ▁and ▁pre dat ory ▁compared ▁to ▁which ▁Hum bert ▁seems ▁fairly ▁rest rained . ▁The ▁film ▁character ▁of ▁John ▁Far low ▁tal ks ▁suggest ively ▁of ▁" sw apping ▁partners " ▁at ▁a ▁dance ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁rep els ▁Hum bert . ▁Jenkins ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁it ▁is ▁Qu ilty , ▁not ▁Hum bert , ▁who ▁acts ▁as ▁the ▁emb od iment ▁of ▁evil . ▁The ▁expansion ▁of ▁Qu ilty ' s ▁character ▁and ▁the ▁way ▁Qu ilty ▁tor ments ▁Hum bert ▁also ▁inv ites ▁the ▁audience ▁to ▁sympath ize ▁with ▁Hum bert . ▁ ▁Because ▁Hum bert ▁narr ates ▁the ▁novel , ▁his ▁increased ▁mental ▁d eter ior ation ▁due ▁to ▁anx iety ▁in ▁the ▁entire ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁more ▁obvious ▁from ▁the ▁increasing ly ▁des perate ▁tone ▁of ▁his ▁narr ative . ▁While ▁the ▁film ▁shows ▁Hum bert ' s ▁increasing ly ▁severe ▁attempts ▁to ▁control ▁L ol ita , ▁the ▁novel ▁shows ▁more ▁of ▁Hum bert ' s ▁loss ▁of ▁self - control ▁and ▁stability . ▁ ▁Jenkins ▁also ▁notes ▁that