What symbols are in Lolita? Are they archetypal images?

Lolita is filled with symbols, although few
are archetypal. First, let's consider what an archetypal image/symbol is. According , an
archetype "is an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype upon which
others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a symbol universally recognized by all. In
psychology, an archetype is a model of a person, personality, or behavior." Archetypes
connects the reader to the text because they make a storyline more familiar. For
example,  Thus most authors will use them.

However, Nabokov
uses more straightforward symbols throughout the text. Rain/water is a recurring symbol
in Lolita. This could be archetypal because it prompts some of our most ancestral
memories. Rain can both cleanse and dirty. It can also restore or destroy. For example,
when Humbert first goes swimming with Charlotte in Part One of the novel, it is a
refreshing experience for her. However, all Humbert can think of is how easily he could
drown her and not be caught, thus leaving him in sole custody of their shared daughter,
Lolita.

Fog and the color gray are used to convey
confusion. In Part Two of the novel, Humbert is driving with Lolita when he believes
that they are being followed by a detective. However, Humbert is unsure if it is really
or happening or if he is losing his mind. He refers to gray colors throughout the
experience. In addition, when Humbert is prepared to meet Lolita again towards the end
of the novel, he finds himself traveling through fog, conveying his his lack of mental
lucidity.

In short, the symbols used in Lolita help convey
the mood and atmosphere of the story.