Anthropomorphism.
Anthropomorphism is when the human
characteristics such as appearance, behaviour, mannerisms etc. have been taken
on by an animal, object etc.. thus giving that animal or object the persona of
a human being whether it is through the clothing that is worn, the way the
animal or object speaks or even by the
way it may walk, which is not a realistic portrayal of the animal or object
being shown. An example of this is in the hit book series ‘The Wind in the
Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame, beautifully illustrated by E.H.Shepard. This show
includes such characters as Mr Toad, Ratty, Mole and Mr Badger.
This is a good example of Anthropomorphism being used as the
characters within 'The Wind in the Willows' have each adapted a persona which
they wouldn't have without the illustrator adapting anthropomorphism into this
show. Perhaps the most well known character from the show is Toad, he is an
example of an Upper-Class Twit who hijacks every possible form of
transportation he can lay his hands on, boats, wagons and cars, driving them
crazily and finally crashing them. Toad views himself as a Gentleman Adventurer
singing all the while as he embarks on his adventures. His attire clearly shows
that he has human characteristics as he wears a range of clothing, from patchwork
suits when trying to present himself well in front of other characters to large
coats and goggles when driving recklessly around town which adds to the
anthropomorphic element of the show as its not a realistic portrayal of a Toad,
this has purposely been done by both illustrator E.H.Shepard and writer Kenneth
Grahame.
Anthropomorphism is still being used today, most commonly in
children's TV shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants (photo of spongebob) Arthur
(photo of Arthur) and The adventures of bottle top bill and his best friend
corky (photo of them). I feel that even though through watching one of these
programmes or another one that I have not listed a proper representation has
been given off but allows the viewer to connect with that character on a more
personal level as the viewer is able to understand why the character may act
the way they do or even dress the way they do. This also allows viewers not to
categorise animals, such as generic pigs or dogs but allows that characters to
have its own identity through the use of anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphising
animals is seen as a bad thing as it does not allow children to obtain enough
factual information through the show or book. However this is not the intention
of the writer or illustrator, the aim is not to pass on information but to
entertain whoever is watching or reading by allowing them to follow the stories
and lives of these characters.
This is my attempt at creating an anthropomorphic character, I
went with a very simplistic idea for my design. I feel that it resembles the
characters out of the wind and the willows with its colouring and clothing.
Grahame,
Kenneth. 'The Wind In The Willows'. Tvtropes.org. N.p., 1908. Web. 16
Mar. 2015.
https://thethiessenreview.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/the-wind-in-the-willows-by-kenneth-grahame/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/E.H._Shepard_illustration_of_Mr_Toad.jpg
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