Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, often used in literature and media to make complex ideas more relatable. It has benefits, such as making topics less intimidating, but can also blur the line between fact and fiction. Examples can be found in children’s books, films, and art, as well as in religion and nature. Some people heavily apply anthropomorphism to their pets and believe it prevents inhumane treatment of animals. Critics argue it can deny the true nature of things and perpetuate the idea of human superiority.
Anthropomorphism is a form of personification that bestows human characteristics on non-humans or objects, especially animals. It has some major benefits, like helping get through complex ideas, but it’s also been met with criticism. Examples of it can be found in literature, the arts and everyday life, and experts believe that people have used the technique for over 30,000 years.
Purpose and benefits
People use anthropomorphism for a variety of reasons, one of which is to disarm the public and create a wider appeal. This is very common when it comes to children’s characters. By using animals or other objects with human traits, an author can tell a story in a visually appealing, non-threatening way without portraying race, so it’s suitable for more people. The goal isn’t to make the animals more familiar, but rather to draw individuals into the story and make specific points more memorable.
In many cases, people use personification of living or non-living things to make things that are foreign or complex easier to understand. A cartoon showing ants with big muscles and lifting weights, for example, can help a child understand the idea that insects are very strong. As a result, many different topics can feel less intimidating, and people often learn very quickly.
Adults often use this technique to handle controversial issues. George Orwell’s Animal Farm, for example, is an exploration of dictatorship and a critique of socialism: it was transferred to the big screen in 1945 and remade in 1999. In his short story, A Dog’s Tale, Mark Twain deliberately recounts the events a dog’s point of view to criticize man’s behavior towards animals.
Modern psychologists sometimes argue that people personify in some cases because they make a creature or object easy to relate to, which allows a person to make a connection with it – in other words, some anthropomorphism occurs because humans are social beings who don’t want to be alone. It satisfies, on some level, the need individuals have for interaction and understanding. The implication is that the stronger someone’s relationships with real people, the less likely he is to apply human characteristics to other things.
Disadvantages
A major problem with personifying objects and animals is that it can deny their true function or nature, blurring the line between fact and fiction. In some circumstances, this can be dangerous or disturbing, for example if a child sees the “loving” and “sweet” family cat attack and kill a bird or mouse on instinct. Putting human characteristics on other creatures and things is also based on the idea that everything else must be like people in one way or another, which is related to the concept that humans are “at the top”, the most important, the strongest or dominant. Some critics argue that this assumption of hierarchy is unnecessary and that it makes it difficult for people to respect the individuality or uniqueness of each species.
Examples from literature, cinema and art
There are hundreds of examples of anthropomorphism in literature and television, and it is perhaps most common in children’s books. The television and book series Arthur is a good example, as are Guess How Much I Love You, Thomas The Train, Clifford: The Big Red Dog, Martha Speaks and the classic animated films, The Land Before Time and Dumbo.
Writers and directors have also used anthropomorphism to great effect for adults. Watership Down, which was made into a film in 1978, is a classic example of rabbits being used to illustrate the hero’s journey, having discrete and separate personalities, a religion and a desire to form a utopian rabbit society . Human characteristics also appear in Mister Ed, a fictional talking horse that appeared in both short stories and a television series in the early 1960s, and many adults are familiar with the drug-addicted and socially awkward talking towel, Towel, from South Park. In the 2007 film Stardust, one of the main characters, Yvaine, is a star in human form that fell from the sky. Similarly, an army of robots from another world fight valiantly to save Earth from the evil Decepticons in the 2007 film, Transformers.
One of the most famous sculptures displaying human traits is The Lion Man. Experts think it is at least 32,000 years old and one of the earliest examples of anthropomorphism. Ron D’raine’s famous painting, First Kiss, is a popular contemporary example of this type of personification, with an adult giraffe leaning down to “kiss” her resting baby.
Application to pets
People sometimes apply anthropomorphism very heavily to their pets. They might dress a dog or cat in a sweater or other costume, for example, and are usually strong proponents of the idea that animals have emotions just like people. Many owners even refer to their pets as family members, stating that, without anthropomorphism, it becomes too easy for people to treat living things inhumanely.
Use in religion and nature
The gods of many ancient religions have anthropomorphic influences. The ancient Greeks considered their gods to be divine, for example, but these deities also exhibited many traits and motivations such as jealousy, greed, lust, and deception. Many of the quarrels described between them can be dated to more primitive religions which attempt to incorporate the religious beliefs of different areas of Greece, but also serve the purpose of making the gods seem very human. In fact, some gods, especially Zeus, even fall in love with people.
Personification as used in religion is closely related to nature, for deities were often depicted as part of or creator of elements in the world and in space. For example, many Native Americans believe that everything, whether it’s a tree, a mountain, or the wind, has a spirit, is connected to and interacts with people. The concept of somewhat human elements in nature is also found in more secular veins, as in Showboat’s famous song “Ol’ Man River”.
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