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Cockroaches, Cows And "Canines Of The Hebrew Faith": Exploring Animal Imagery In Graphic Novels About Genocide, Deborah Mayersen

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Graphic novels about genocide feature a surprisingly rich array of animal imagery. While there has been substantial analysis of the anthropomorphic animals in Maus, the roles and functions of non-anthropomorphised animals have received scant attention. In this article, I conduct a comparative analysis of ten graphic novels about genocide to identify and elucidate the archetypical functions of non-anthropomorphised animals. These animals can play a symbolic role, providing insight into the human condition. More commonly, they provide crucial emotional cues to the reader. Animal imagery can be a powerful technique for creating an affective context, communicating both simple and complex …