Copyright 2015 by the National Art Education Association Studies in A rt Education: A Journal o f Issues and Research 2015,56(2), 156-167 “Questioning Lolita: Genealogy of a Cover Girl SHARI L. SAVAGE why something The Ohio State University ‘is,’ tracing At the publication of Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita its genealogy, (1958), the author insisted that a girl never appear on the cover. This discourse analysis of 185 Lolita book covers, most of which and altering feature a girl, considers the genealogy of "Lolita" in relation to representation, myth, and tacit knowledge construction. How its historical does the content and context of the narrative function to promote and propel erotic girl imagery and reiterate blameworthiness of underpinnings the girl as seducer? Using visual discourse analysis (Rose, 2001) to analyze book cover representations, findings suggest cultural offer relevant understandings of "Lolita" are connected to mythic signifies and popular culture notions of girlhood gone bad. Also described and purposeful and analyzed, a recent book cover contest that asks designers to create a Lolita book cover that does not use a girl. This study classroom encourages art educators and their students to question how inquiry.” culture perpetuates myth, and more specifically, why. Correspondence regarding this article may be send to the author at
[email protected] 156 Savage / Lolita: Genealogy o f a Cover Girl [Lolita] One of my all-time favorites... when I first encountered this edition I assumed our supposed Lolita's pose was flirtatious. One knee bends in front of the other— in almost a curtsy.