▁res ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁with ▁a ▁confront ation ▁between ▁two ▁men : ▁one ▁of ▁them , ▁Cla re ▁Qu ilty , ▁dr unk ▁and ▁in co her ent , ▁plays ▁Ch op in ' s ▁Pol ona ise ▁in ▁A ▁major , ▁Op . ▁ 4 0 , ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁on ▁the ▁piano ▁before ▁being ▁apparently ▁shot ▁to ▁death ▁behind ▁a ▁portrait ▁painting ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁woman , ▁with ▁the ▁sh ots ▁fired ▁from ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁painting ▁and ▁passing ▁through ▁it . ▁The ▁shoot er ▁is ▁Hum bert ▁Hum bert , ▁a ▁middle - aged ▁British ▁professor ▁of ▁French ▁literature . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁then ▁flash es ▁back ▁to ▁events ▁four ▁years ▁earlier . ▁Hum bert ▁arriv es ▁in ▁R ams dale , ▁New ▁Ham pshire , ▁int ending ▁to ▁spend ▁the ▁summer ▁before ▁his ▁professor ship ▁begins ▁at ▁Be ards ley ▁College , ▁Ohio . ▁He ▁searches ▁for ▁a ▁room ▁to ▁rent , ▁and ▁Charlotte ▁Haz e , ▁a ▁c loy ing , ▁sex ually ▁fr ustr ated ▁wid ow , ▁inv ites ▁him ▁to ▁stay ▁at ▁her ▁house . ▁He ▁decl ines ▁until ▁seeing ▁her ▁daughter , ▁Dol ores , ▁affection ately ▁called ▁" L ol ita ". ▁L ol ita ▁is ▁a ▁s oda - pop ▁drink ing , ▁g um - sn apping , ▁over t ly ▁fl irt ati ous ▁te en ager , ▁with ▁whom ▁Hum bert ▁becomes ▁inf atu ated . ▁ ▁To ▁be ▁close ▁to ▁L ol