The death and resurrection of Brian Griffin

Brett Mills*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (journal)peer-review

Abstract

This essay explores the animated American sitcom Family Guy (Fox, 1999-) as a case study for thinking about the use of animals in narratives. It focuses on episodes in which the program's dog, Brian, is killed and subsequently resurrected. Brian is a useful subject for this examination in view of his hybrid dog/human status. My discussion of Brian's death and subsequent resurrection demonstrates how narratives exploit animals for anthropocentric purposes, enabling human cultures to engage with topics such as death. In doing so, my essay evidences how animals are little more than narrative resources, used by programs for decidedly human ends.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Journal of American Studies
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Jan 2018

Keywords

  • Animal representation
  • Animation
  • Anthropocentrism
  • Death
  • Dogs
  • Family Guy
  • Television

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