"john ray jr."

John Ray Jr., I infer, is a psychology Ph.D. holder, and also a friend to Clarence Choate Clark, H.H.'s lawyer.  Ray Jr. seeks to introduce the book in a way that says, "Yes, H.H. is horrible, but this can be of good use."  He also praises the author on the literature when he says, "But how magically his singing violin can conjure up a tendresse, a compassion for Lolita that makes us entranced with the book while abhorring its author!"  And then ends with a moral/medical lesson to have read the manuscript, that psychologists can learn from this incidence and that everyone could task ourselves of "bringing up a better generation in a safer world."  Whereas, when H.H. gives his justifications and explanations, it's completely toward the self.  The purpose is different.  He gives excuses.  He gives other instances all throughout the world where grown men marrying nymphets is considered normal.  The underlining theme is "it's not my fault," or "it's not that wrong."  Both in The Enchanter and Lolita.

The American Graffiti-style postscript starting with "For the benefit of old-fashioned readers..." sets the undramatic, reality feel to the whole events that occur and will occur in the novel.  It plants this idea that it matters what everyone else in the novel ended up becoming, and that their lives don't just end or vanish after the last sentence of Lolita—which they do, in truth—and that gives the novel a reality feel to it.