Meat, sex, and power : an analysis of the world of Beastars

Abstract

This dissertation presents an examination and analysis of the world depicted in the Japanese mangaka/comic artist Itagaki Paru’s Beastars and Beast Complex serialised manga narratives. The analysis is comprised of three primary sections that delve into meat and other animal products, sex and gender, and power relations. These concepts are respectively discussed by focusing on the way in which this fictional world facilitates the use of meat/animal products despite all animals being persons, the way in which sexual and gendered aspects, which are typically attributed to human animals, are attributed to animalised classifications, and the way in which a variety of factors simultaneously operate to enforce power relations between different persons and groups in this fictional world. The analysis makes use of semiotics, ecofeminism, critical discourse analysis, animal studies, and critical theory in general.

Hierdie dissertasie bied ʼn ondersoek na en analise van die wêreld wat in die Japanse mangaka-/strokiesprentkunstenaar Paru Itagaki se Beastars en Beast Complex-mangaverhaalreeks uitgebeeld word. Die analise bestaan uit drie primêre afdelings wat onderskeidelik vleis en ander diereprodukte, seks en gender, en magsverhoudings ondersoek. Hierdie konsepte word bespreek deur te fokus op die manier waarop hierdie fiktiewe wêreld die gebruik van vleis-/dierprodukte fasiliteer, ten spyte daarvan dat alle diere persone is; die manier waarop seksuele en gender-aspekte, wat tipies aan menslike diere toegedig word, aan verdierlikte klassifikasies toegedig word; en die manier waarop ’n verskeidenheid faktore gelyktydig werksaam is om magsverhoudings tussen verskillende persone en groepe in hierdie fiktiewe wêreld af te dwing. Die analise gebruik semiotiek, ekofeminisme, kritiese diskoersanalise, dierestudies, en kritiese teorie oor die algemeen.

Le thisisi ibonisa ukuhlolwa kunye nohlalutyo lwehlabathi elibonakaliswa kuthotho lwamabali eencwadi zokonwabisa iBeastars and Beast Complex zeJapanese mangaka/umzobi weencwadi zokonwabisa uParu Itagaki. Olu hlalutyo lubandakanya amacandelo amathathu aphambili aphonononga iimveliso zenyama kunye nezinye zezilwanyana, ezesondo kunye nesini, kunye nobudlelane ngokwamagunya. Ezi ngcamango zixoxwa ngokulandelelana ngokugxila kwindlela eli hlabathi lamabali aqwetyiweyo eliququzelela ngayo ukusetyenziswa kweemveliso zenyama okanye zezilwanyana nangona zonke izilwanyana zingabantu; indlela apho iinkalo zesini kunye nobuni, ngokuqhelekileyo ezayanyaniswa nabantu, zithi zayanyaniswe khona nohlelo lwezilwanyana; kunye nendlela apho iintlobo ngeentlobo zezinto zisebenza ngaxeshanye ukunyanzelisa ubudlelane ngokwamagunya phakathi kwabantu kunye namaqela ahlukileyo kweli hlabathi lamabali aqwetyiweyo. Olu hlalutyo lusebenzisa ithiyori yokunxulumene nemiqondiso kunye neempawu (semiotics), ithiyori ehlola unxibelelwano phakathi kwabasetyhini nendalo (ecofeminism), ithiyori yohlalutyo lokusetyenziswa kolwimi kumagunya nakwezentlalo (critical discourse analysis), izifundo zezilwanyana, kunye nethiyori yohlalutyo lwezentlalo nenkcubeko ngokubanzi (critical theory).