Do you think they are too childish, or do you think that they can represent human characteristics more easily? Or is there any need for them at all? Examples of animal anthropomorphs would be Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny... mostly all the cartoon characters out there.
2007-05-02 01:46:49 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Well, look at the novel "Animal Farm". That wasn't written for children. It was written for adults. I think the fact that it contains animals and takes place on a farm makes it more accessible for everyone who read is. Some people have a hard time understanding Orwell's "1984", or dismiss it as some dystopian view of the world, but I think they get his message when they read "Animal Farm". In a way, I think that animals can represent human characteristics and get across messages that otherwise would be missed because they are so disarming. Adults, I think, are not as critical when they read about animals, so they don't throw up walls which keep them from hearing the author's message. It's sort of like it sneaks in because we aren't really paying attention, or expecting an animal to say anything serious.
I think Aesop understood that very well. His fables contain animals, but his moral messages are crystal clear. I don't know if we would really take it in the same way if the story of the tortoise and the hare was changed to be about a slow, plodding human and their quick, sprinting, but over-confident rival.
2007-05-02 10:18:25 · answer #1 · answered by Bronwen 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are able to teach a message that perhaps adults would not listen to if they were taught in other ways. All thru out history, teaching have been done with this method. Both Greek and Roman mythology used this technique. Additionally, many of the ancient American rock art symbols of the Southwest include anthropomorphous, ie the ancestral Puebloan, Anasazi, Fremont cultures of Utah and Arizona.
2007-05-02 01:51:12 · answer #2 · answered by Kerry 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I mostly think that they are brought to entertain the children... in these cartoons. But as a subject for mature people, I guess it's interesting to discuss...
2007-05-02 02:02:46 · answer #3 · answered by Luiza 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok here's two freebies. In literature, talking animals symbolize children. Giants symbolize adults.
2007-05-02 01:51:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean in an adult novel? Because if so, that's just plain creepy.
In children's PICTURE books they are perfectly fine.
2007-05-02 02:06:24 · answer #5 · answered by Autumn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋