In this excerpt from "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov, the character Humbert Humbert expresses a deep longing and desperation for the possibility of a future with the woman he loves. He hopes for a day when she might live with him, envisioning a new deity to whom he could offer gratitude for this hope. His careful approach to asking underscores the significance of this desire to him, highlighting his emotional intensity and vulnerability.

The response he receives is definitive and dismissive, as she smiles and firmly declines his wish. Humbert reflects on how such an answer would have drastically changed his life, revealing the weight of unfulfilled aspirations and the futility of his longing. His subsequent thought about taking drastic action is a fleeting notion, indicating that violence is not in his nature but demonstrating the depth of his emotional turmoil.