Anthropomorphism/ 9 Keys to Anthropomorphic Themes and Symbolism
Metaphor and Allegory
Anthropomorphic characters thrive on metaphor and allegory. A metaphor is a comparison between things that are unrelated. An allegory is a story using symbols to convey a hidden meaning. Simple examples—referenced before—include a fox representing craftiness or cleverness, a wolf representing cunning and manipulation, and a lion majesty and courage.
Societal Reflection and Observation
Anthropomorphism is a great tool to use to comment on social norms, orders, and society. How do stories that we read directly reflect the values and beliefs of our culture? Again, this connects to previous points: look through real species and behaviors of the species you use, and if applicable, use such things to cast back on society and ethnic observations.
Artistic Expression
Anthropomorphism is often a visual medium, and thus why it’s popular with artists, in comics, or films, thanks to the visual creativity and flexibility it provides.
Children’s Literature and Entertainment
Anthropomorphism is commonly—and most famously—used in children’s literature and entertainment because of its’ accessibility, visual appeal, and relatability. Anthropomorphic animals are often used for simplifying complex concepts for younger audiences, and adults love it as well.
Psychological Appeal
Anthropomorphism taps into our innate tendency to humanize living things in an effort to understand them. We tend to project feelings, emotions, motivations, and other such factors onto non-human things in order to try and understand them better. Humans naturally anthropomorphize things by default. Hence, it is one of the oldest literary and storytelling devices in the entirety of human history.
Anthropomorphism is one of the most enduring and powerful tools in storytelling and art. Understanding these nine keys gives you a strong foundation for using it with intention, depth, and creativity in your own work.
Which of these nine keys resonates most with your own writing or creative work? I’d love to hear how you’re using anthropomorphism in your projects — drop a comment below and let’s talk about it.
— Eric Flegal
