This Potential 'Lolita' & 'Cruel Summer' Connection May Explain "Annabelle"

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This Potential 'Lolita' & 'Cruel Summer' Connection May Explain "Annabelle"

There is a lot of tiny details to unpack on Cruel Summer, from the meaning of all that mirror imagery to whether Jeanette's missing glasses should give us a clue as to what really went down when Kate was kidnapped. Now, one fan has pointed out a possible connection between an iconic work of literature and Freeform's latest mystery series — and it might be a key to unlocking the truth about what really happened to Kate on Cruel Summer after she was kidnapped by Martin.

The latest theory comes from Reddit user @OutcomeInteresting25, who points out that there may be a reason why Kate claims to have met someone named "Annabelle" shortly before she was rescued from Martin's basement. Fair warning here: This is seriously disturbing.

In Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita, the main character, a professor called "Humbert Humbert," becomes obsessed with 12-year-old Dolores, who he calls "Lolita." One of the reasons why he becomes fascinated with Lolita specifically is because she reminds him of his former (then age appropriate) crush Annabelle, who, like Lolita, was just 12 when he met her.

So how does that connect to Cruel Summer?

"Anyone else think about how 'Annabelle' was the name of the little girl who’s death caused Humbert Humbert to sexually obsess over little girls of a certain age?" writes @OutcomeInteresting25. "I’m thinking maybe 'Annabelle' was a girl Martin fell in love with and grew an obsession over, and maybe pretended and made Kate pretend she was 'Annabelle,' which traumatizes Kate."

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