-
Discovering the anti-heroines (Femme Fatales) Dolores Haze, Lola Montes, and Louise Brooks
The young woman with a troubled past is an archetype that appears frequently in both literature and film. Her enigmatic demeanor engages in conversation with the audience, providing them with the assurance of a steady presence as well as the fascination of a riddle. She seems to exude a certain “je ne sais quoi” that distinguishes her from others. This “it” factor appears to be unique to her. Whether this quality is tangible or intangible, it is undeniable that this mysterious “je ne sais quoi” endows her with an air of mystique and a charm that sets her apart from the rest. Anti-heroines serve as a reminder that tenacity is…
-
Louise Brooks, Lolita, and Nabokov: Names, Titles, & Secret Muses
What does compelling evidence amount to in the absence of outright proof? How far does mere suspicion carry you without a frank confession? In a court of law, evidence and suspicion are typically inadequate where securing a desired verdict is concerned. But the court of public opinion is a quite separate phenomenon, indeed. This brings us to the legendary Silent Era film star Louise Brooks (1906-1985), to her brief but monumental on-screen career, to the famous work of literature which may well have drawn inspiration from her captivating persona, and to her unpublished memoir Naked on my Goat, which she inexplicably incinerated after having devoted considerable time to its completion. As…
-
What Inspired Nabokov’s Literary Classic Lolita?
The Mysterious Inspiration Behind Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” The brilliant yet somewhat obstinate story of Lolita from Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 publication often comes up with discussing controversial literary works. The tale focuses on Humbert Humbert, a professor of literature who becomes intimately involved with a pre-teen girl after seducing and marrying her middle-aged, widowed mother. Although stories like this have been a part of literature for centuries, Nabokov’s piece was always considered to be an original work of fiction. Literary scholars have studied this along with his other work over time. However, in 2005, a literary critic created controversy when he made claims that Nabokov’s Lolita wasn’t original and may have even been stolen.…