Tattoos, Desire and Violence: Marks of Resistance in Literature, Film and Television

by Karin Beeler

Whether they graphically depict an individual's or a community's beliefs, express the defiance of authority, or brand marginalized groups, tattoos are a means of interpersonal communication that dates back thousands of years. Evidence of the tattoo's place in today's popular culture is all around--in advertisements, on the stereotypical outlaw character in films and television, in supermarket machines that dispense children's wash-away tattoos, and even in the production of a tattooed Barbie doll. This book explores the tattoo's role, primarily as an emblem of resistance and marginality, in recent literature, film, and television. The association of tattoos with victims of the Holocaust, slaves, and colonized peoples; with gangs, inmates, and other marginalized groups; and the connection of the tattoo narrative to desire and violence are discussed at length.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2005

About the author

Also credited as Karin E. Beeler. Dr. Karin Beeler is an associate professor of English at University of Northern British Columbia.