Martyrdom in Contemporary Animalist Discourses

Is it possible to use the notion of martyrdom in order to explain thecommunicative strategies and the semiotic mechanisms of the animalistmovement? Is the animal a sort of contemporary martyr? This study aims toapply the notion of martyrdom outside the traditional boundaries of religionand politics, testing it in another relevant socio–cultural phenomenon: thecontemporary animalist discourse. This paper analyses texts from animalistadvertising, essays and novels promoting animal rights and vegetarianism.The main features of the traditional notion of martyrdom are compared tothe semiotic structures of the animalist discourse. The questions of the efficacyof images and that of the exhibition of corporeity will be very relevantin defining the relation between martyrdom and representation of animals inthe animalist discourse. In particular, the connection between the constructionof the veracity of texts and martyrdom as testimony will be addressedduring the analysis.