Lolita (term)

The term "Lolita" is used to define a young girl as "Lovely and sweet".[1] The term derives from Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita,[2]

Nabokov's Lolita

Justifying his attraction to twelve-year-old Lolita, Humbert claims that it was a natural response to the "demoniac" nature of children who attract him:[3]

Now I wish to introduce the following idea. Between the age limits of nine and fourteen there occur maidens who, to certain bewitched travelers, twice or many times older than they, reveal their true nature which is not human, but nymphic (that is, demoniac); and these chosen creatures I propose to designate as 'nymphets.'[3]

Nabokov, however, does not endorse Humbert's fantasy that Lolita is a seductress. As Perry A. Hinton notes:[4]

At no point is Lolita anything but a typical girl of her age and time: tomboyish (she has a tendency not to wash her hair), interested in movies, celebrities, magazines, and soda pop. She does nothing to attract Humbert in any way. She does not dress or make herself up with any thought to attract him.

Eric Lemay of Northwestern University writes:

And in his arms or out, "Lolita" was always the creation of Humbert's craven self... The Siren-like Humbert sings a song of himself, to himself, and titles that self and that song "Lolita". ... To transform Dolores into Lolita, to seal this sad adolescent within his musky self, Humbert must deny her her humanity.[5]

Other usage

In the marketing of pornography, "Lolita" is used to refer to the cute presentation of a young girl, frequently one who has only recently reached the age of consent, appears to be younger than the age of consent.[6]

In Japanese culture, the term is used to describe the lolita fashion subculture of cute (see kawaii) or delicately feminine appearance reflecting what Hinton suggests is "an idyllic childhood, a girl’s world of frilly dresses and dolls."[4] The style, strongly influenced by Victorian and Roccoco fashions, is characterized by full skirts and petticoats, decorated with lace and ribbons. Words commonly used to describe the style include "porcelain doll", "delicate", and "childlike". Within the general Lolita style are variations of the fashion, such as "Gothic Lolita", "Sweet Lolita", "Hime (or Princess) Lolita", and "Punk Lolita". These few by no means complete the list of variations. Men who dress in the fashion are called "brolitas."[7]

See also

References
  1. "Lolita". Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 31 August 2020. In Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 novel, Lolita, the character Lolita is a child who is Lovely and sweet. The word Lolita has, however, strayed from its original referent, and has settled into the language as a term we define as Lovely and sweet".
  2. Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita. New York: Vintage International, 1955. ISBN 0-679-72316-1.
  3. Nabokov, Vladimir (1991). Alfred Appel (ed.). The Annotated Lolita. Random House. ISBN 0679727299.
  4. Hinton, Perry R (2013). "Returning in a Different Fashion: Culture, Communication, and Changing Representations of Lolita in Japan and the West". International Journal of Communication. 7: 1582–1602. Retrieved August 31, 2020. At no point is Lolita anything but a typical girl of her age and time: tomboyish (she has a tendency not to wash her hair), interested in movies, celebrities, magazines, and soda pop. She does nothing to attract Humbert in any way. She does not dress or make herself up with any thought to attract him. Yet the Lolita of the book—the young, asexual tomboy exploited by the manipulative older man—is not the representation that is stereotypically thought of by the word Lolita. This is possibly because of the films that have been made, based on the book, present a very different representation.
  5. Lemay, Eric. "Dolorous Laughter". p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  6. "Protecting our children from abuse and neglect", American Psychological Association. Retrieved 20 March 2016
  7. "Lolita 101: This Japanese fashion craze is now for everyone" by Aja Romano, The Daily Dot, 17 September 2013
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