Jan 13, 2019
What do Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and Neo from The Matrix all have in common? Besides being twentieth-century cultural touchstones, they all practice some form of self-sacrifice in their respective stories, making them part of the long tradition of martyrdom in literature and film. But what happens when martyrs step out of the realm of fiction and into the political world? Do they serve to strengthen or topple powerful regimes? Sophia Moskalenko and Clark McCauley explore the power of self-sacrifice in a selfish world.
Images: The Magic World of Harry Potter by Rae Tian. Public Domain via Unsplash
Bilbo’s house by Thandy Yung. Public domain via Unsplash
Green Matrix rain on a screen by Markus Spiske. Public Domain via Unsplash
