Performing Feminism in Book Covers: A Multimodal Analysis of Reprint and Retranslation Cases in South Korea

Abstract

The feminist movement, which includes certain radical elements, is gaining traction in South Korea. In South Korea’s publishing industry, feminism has demonstrated this evolution, with more visible and bold expressions. Against this background, this study analyzes how the book covers of translated feminist classics have evolved over time and what kinds of messages are transmitted to female readers with increasing exposure to feminism. The reprints and retranslations in the analysis are reflected in the book covers as a space for ideological appeal, sending specific messages derived from the multimodal analysis of the book covers. This study demonstrates how a multimodal analysis of the metafunctions of semiotic resources on book covers can be applied to derive messages for the target readership. Finally, a diachronic comparison of the book covers substantiates the claim that the book-cover design of translated works is closely associated with the social setting of the target culture and its ideological stance.