Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human-like characteristics, feelings, and behaviours to non-human characters such as animals, Gods, and supernatural creatures. Anthropomorphism is a similar literary device to personification.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONIFICATION AND ANTHROPOMORPHISM?
anthrop = human
morph = shape
Doctor Le Quack from Courage The Cowardly DogA view into ordinary lives 1887 Theodor KittelsenWeird Tales for September 1946Pierre Probst (1913-2007) introduced Caroline And Her Friends to the French public in 1952Postcard c. 1950s for Mainzer cats illustrator Eugen Hartung 1897-1973Mr Woodchuck by L. FRANK BAUM writing as Laura BancroftMr Woodchuck by L. FRANK BAUM writing as Laura Bancroft
In pop culture the two terms seem to be used interchangeably. See, for instance, 10 Movies That Will Traumatise Your Child With Anthropomorphism from io9.
The Flowers Personified by French Caricaturist and illustrator (Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard), nom de plume J.J Grandville, 1847Mother Earth’s Children The Frolics of the Fruits and Vegetables by Elizabeth Gordon. Illustrations by M.T.Ross 1914Mother Earth’s Children The Frolics of the Fruits and Vegetables by Elizabeth Gordon. Illustrations by M.T.Ross 1914
But some people like to maintain a distinction, despite the overlapping usage. I like this explanation:
Both personification and anthropomorphization assert intangible human characteristics — such as consciousness and thought — onto an inanimate object, entity or animal. The difference is that anthropomorphization imposes physical or tangible human characteristics onto the subject to suggest an embodiment of the human form.
Janusz Stanny ( 1932-2014) was a Polish illustrator. These images from Andersen’s Fairy Tales”, 1977, show how he brought a landscape to life, with eyes in the ocean, faces in the hill, and so on. This is personification.
Personification pretends (for literary effect) to ascribe one or two human attributes (especially thoughts, feelings, intentions) to non-human things.
Anthropomorphismturns non-humans into humans completely — such as Bugs Bunny, the animals of Aesop’s fables, the three bears who chased Goldilocks, or the Uncle Remus characters.
Another way of looking at anthropomorphism is that it is actually talking about humans — but pretends that they are shaped like animals.
This is a popular device in children’s literature, fairy tales, and comic strips. One benefit is that the characters don’t have any race or gender, so all children everywhere can identify with them. [For more on that see Why So Many Animals In Picturebooks?]
from someone at Yahoo answers.
“Tootles The Taxi” John Kenney 1956. Anthropomorphised vehicles are common in children’s books. I guess everyone thinks the fronts of cars look like faces? These remind me of the later Thomas The Tank Engine.Elmer Cecil Stoner Mr PeanutThe Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949 4
