Language, Representation, and Animal Voicelessness

Sor Juana was acutely aware of how language shapes reality—how naming, framing, and representation determine what becomes visible and possible. She resisted the language used to diminish women's intellectual capacity, reframing the discourse itself. This applies directly to animals: the language we use—calling them 'resources,' 'stock,' 'pests'—obscures their reality as beings with their own interests. We have vocabulary for 'livestock' but not for 'imprisoned creatures.' We say animals 'behave' rather than 'choose' or 'decide.' These linguistic choices normalize exploitation. Sor Juana's attention to language suggests we must consciously shift how we speak and write about animals to represent them more truthfully: as individuals with personalities, as social beings, as creatures with their own projects and purposes. This includes listening to and amplifying alternative vocabularies from animal advocates, indigenous traditions that honor animal personhood, and scientific findings that describe animal cognition accurately. By transforming representation and language, we create conceptual space for transformed relationships with animals—moving from objectification toward recognition of their reality and rights.