Premium Essay

Anthropomorphism

In:

Submitted By donyboy128p
Words 669
Pages 3
According to merriam-webster.com, anthropomorphism or being anthropomorphic is being “described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes”. Other sources online would also refer to it as personification or would simply define it as being like man. I would personally define it as making something humanlike; with emphasis on the word something. Anthropomorphism applies in scenarios that range from a talking yellow sponge working as a fry cook to Greek gods and goddess being portrayed as having humanlike appearances and emotions.
Anthropomorphism has always been applicable when studying theology. To simply put it, it is like viewing God as human in order to learn about Him and understand Him which is perfectly fine for some. However; there is a big debate that since God is a transcendent being, it would be misleading to describe Him like a human. So which side do I take?
Quite frankly, I will say that I accept the notion that man can speak of God as if God is like man. With that, I have one reason and one reason only of thinking this way which is . . . Jesus, the son of God, became human. Having a Catholic background and coming from a Catholic school, my faith leads me to believe that Jesus is fully divine and fully human at the same time. In my opinion, Jesus becoming human is God’s way of saying that He wants us to understand Him more. To be fair, others might argue that Jesus is not God but the Son of God; but I respond with my faith that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is the Holy Trinity.
I remember two things that priests in my high school would always say: “God loves you” and “God is perfect”. “God loves you” talks about God having human emotions and “God is perfect” refers to Him as a transcendent being. I truly believe that Jesus’ humanity and divinity which coexists just fine make it alright to talk about God

Similar Documents

Free Essay

The Lion Whisperer

...Richardson is famous for rescuing and raising twenty-seven adopted lions from a game reserve in Johannesburg, South Africa. These lions were soon to be killed by hunters before Kevin Richardson stepped in and relocated these lions to his own land. He treats his felines as if they were equals, often wrestling, playing, and embracing them as if they were humans or as if he was a lion. For viewers these actions might be initially seen as incredible, witnessing a human interact so passionately with the King of the Jungle. Richardson states he is able to do this because he treats each individual lion differently, speaking to them, caressing them and, above all, treating them with respect (Roberts, 2007, p. 1). This relationship is a form of anthropomorphism, or giving animals human characteristics. The story of Kevin Richardson relates to many other cat human relationships that have been circulated throughout history, such as the commonly known fictional relationship of Calvin and Hobbes. To illustrate this complex man cat relationship I will analyze the image on the left, found on stripeshiphop.com, originally found off of lionwhisperer.co.za, of Kevin Richardson embracing one of his...

Words: 2332 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

The Music Scene

...The name of the song is “The Music Scene” by none other than the infamous Dj Blockhead (Anthony Simon) who has worked with the likes of Cape, Hanger 18, and Aesop Rock to produce some of the most tantalizing music videos available. Anthony Francisco Schepperd swivels the human psyche within the strands of Blockhead’s music in order to produce a piece of art that leaves one both understanding and completely awed by what is being rendered in front of them. One blogger conceptualizes this work as “An animated mind melt into a post human New York where TV and animals rule.” While I believe that to be a decent summarizing, I would delve to take one step further in attempting an explanation. What is your explanation of the video? Most of the time people use anthropomorphic terminology, a process of putting human characteristics within the confines of animal nature. Consider when people say, “That dog has such a personality, he is very humanistic.” Does the video show animals with human characteristics? If so, explain the purpose of the depiction. What is your interpretation of the ending of the video? Do you agree with the blogger, or is there a message within the video? Why don't the humans in the video seem human? And what role does the TV monster play in the video? Does the video help the song or hurt it? Or vise-versa, does the song help the video?Can you conclude that this is a work of art or not? Why? In Schepperd’s video, the television rips and tears away at the human...

Words: 653 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Anthropomorphism in Children's Literature

...rabbit say to itself “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late” * Lewis Carroll- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland A comparison of the different forms of Anthropomorphism in Children’s Literature- Looking at Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Black Beauty and War Horse. Throughout history, animals have been used in storytelling and literature. From primitive story tellers who would utilise animal adversaries to symbolise man’s continuous struggle against nature, to animals fulfilling a didactic purpose in fables such as Aesop’s, animals have been an intrinsic part of tales throughout the ages. According to Juliet Kellogg Markowsky, ‘the humanism of the renaissance eclipsed interest in […] animal stories’ yet this was revived with the writing of Black Beauty’ this revival could be said to be connected with the publishing of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. This is reiterated by Joanna Mierek who says: ‘Charles
Darwin’s
theory
of
natural
selection
implies
cross species 
continuity;[…]
Darwin
wrote
in
1871
of
‘numberless gradations’ separating all
animals.’When people were told that humans and animals had the same basic ancestors, an interest in nature was piqued and is something that has since been continuously present in literature. This essay will therefore endeavour to look at how and why authors use anthropomorphism, particularly in children’s literature. May Arbuthnot categorizes animal stories in three ways: stories that tell of animals that dress and act like...

Words: 2958 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Of Anthropomorphism In 'The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe'

...Omar Holayel 4/09/2015 English 223 Other-world Fantasy Dr. Shortsleeve Call of the Wild: C.S. Lewis’s Use of Anthropomorphism In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe In C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) Lewis introduces us to a magical new world called Narnia found on the other side of a mystical wardrobe in which time stands still. Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and Susan Pevensie, the main protagonist of the story, are children who have become caught in a unnamed war in London (presumed to be WWII), are moved far away from harms way and are forced to live with a old professor (Lewis, 7). In the old professors house they discover a magical wardrobe that leads to Narnia. The wardrobe’s supernatural characteristics were discovered early on by the youngest Pevensie Lucy (Lewis, 10). This initiation of surreal events by Lucy plays into the creative fantasy that is the world of Narnia. This sudden acceptance of fantastic events by Lucy can be compared to C.S. Lewis’s Of other Worlds: Essays and Stories (1975) in which he suggests this phenomenon to be “a special type of longing” (Of other Worlds, 30). The world of Narnia is described as a snow-covered land surrounded by immense pine forests and fragmented by streams. The geographical layout of Narnia plays an important role in the creation of the...

Words: 1501 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Anthropomorphism In Animal Farm By George Orwell

...George Orwell’s use of anthropomorphism portrays the characters in his story in a particular manner that serve to reveal a critical underlying message. More specifically, notorious and notable figures are depicted in the story as animals, and through their behaviors, they reflect how people acted in reality. By providing a visualization, he Orwell mocks communism but also exposes and brings more awareness to the dangers and dictatorship of socialism. First of all, all the animals that are working in the story, represent the large, lower working classes of Russia, which started the Russian Revolution by leading “spontaneous demonstrations and strikes”, and ending Romanov Rule (Krieger 185). Likewise, in the story, the animals unification and...

Words: 337 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Anthropomorphism In Call Of The Wild, By Jack London

...In Call of the Wild, Jack London incorporates anthropomorphism in his book to emphasize the similarities between animals and humans. He illustrates a theme of survival of the fittest. London defines Buck’s transformation as he became a leader. He describes the connections between the animals in a third person point of view to provide an insight into their feelings. As the narrator asserts, “Buck felt vaguely that there was no depending upon these two men and the woman.”(51) London emphasizes the behavior of the animals to illustrate their life as they move to harsher environments. As the narrator claims, “...he wandered about among the many tents, only to find one place was as cold as the another.”(18) London develops empathy for Buck by describing...

Words: 323 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

How Is Tikki Brave

...What am I to do?” said Rikki-tikki-tavi.’” Once again, this is anthropomorphism because it expresses how he “feels.” This explains that Rikki-tikki was plotting his scheme carefully so he could win and save his family/friends. The author uses anthropomorphism in this text to help express the characters' real emotions. The author Rudyard Kipling, uses anthropomorphism in this story to help demonstrate the characters true feelings, thoughts, and personalities. In detail, “‘Nag is dead—is dead—is dead!” sang Darzee.” (para. 63) Moreover, this piece of evidence is anthropomorphism because in the story they are physically “talking.” This anthropomorphism proves the theme because this shows that Rikki-tikki killed Nag and saved his loved ones. To point out, “‘Now, if I kill him here, Nagaina will know; and if I fight him on the open floor, the odds are in his favor. What am I to do?” said Rikki-tikki-tavi.’” Once again, this is anthropomorphism because it expresses how he “feels.” This explains that Rikki-tikki was plotting his scheme carefully so he could win and save his family/friends. The author uses anthropomorphism in this text to help express the characters' real...

Words: 569 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Coyote Steals Fire

...Secondly, Anansi represents the component of anthropomorphism in “How Stories Came to Earth”. In the beginning of the story, the narrator describes Anansi with human characteristics. The narrator depicts him as a “thin, spidery; old man” (Kaleki 40). Anansi is a spider, not a man. So when the narrator portrays him using human characteristics, it shows the aspect of a human in Anansi. Not too long after, Anansi feels curious, a behavior associated with human development. He has a desire to know how to receive the stories from the sky-god. For animals, it isn’t uncommon to feel desire or curiosity. However, the desire for knowledge and curiosity for answers is what brings the human facet into play. In the end, Anansi and his wife Aso acquire a feeling of pride and flaunt what they have gained. After arriving home with the stories, Anansi and Aso, “eagerly learned each one of them… Everywhere you look, they spin their webs for all to see” (Kaleki 42). Aku and Aso are essentially bragging about their achievement and using their winnings to their advantage. With all these in mind, this...

Words: 490 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Rikki Tikhi Quotes

...In one case, Nagaina goes inside the veranda and confronts Rikki-Tikki’s family saying, “Son of the big man that killed Nag, stay still. I am not ready yet. Wait a little. Keep very still, all you three! If you move, I strike, and if you do not move, I strike” (para 82-84). This indicates anthropomorphism because Nagaina is talking, which is a human attribute, and she is an animal. Supposing that Nag, her husband, whom she loved, did not died, Nagaina would not have had the courage to go into the house and threaten the family. Also, Rikki-Tikki smashes all Nagaina’s eggs, except for one which he brings to her, and she says, “Give me the egg, Rikki-Tikki. Give me the last of my eggs, and I will go away and never come back.” Then when Rikki-Tikki refused to give her the egg, she stole it from him and slithered as fast as she could away from the house (para 81-96). This displays anthropomorphism because Nagaina was asking Rikki-Tikki to give her her egg and that is a human feature cobras do not have. Nagaina’s egg gave her courage to steal it back from Rikki-Tikki because it was the last one and she loved it. In conclusion, Kipling includes anthropomorphism to support the...

Words: 600 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Heart of Darkness

...for the reader. Lastly, Conrad uses a hyperbole to really exaggerate the gloom over the west. With the use of “somber” and “angered” he is exaggerating the gloom giving the reader an idea of to what extent the gloom is. "The idleness of a passenger, my isolation amongst all these men with whom I had no point of contact, the oily and languid sea, the uniform somberness (D) of the coast, seemed to keep me away from the truth of things, within the toil of a mournful and senseless delusion. The voice (S) of the surf heard now and then was a positive pleasure, like the speech of a brother (A). It was something natural, that had its reason, that had a meaning." D-Diction S- Symbolism A- Anthropomorphism In this passage Conrad uses the literary devices of diction, symbolism, and anthropomorphism. The word somber or “somberness” as said in this particular passage is used throughout the novel creating a repetition of diction. With this repetition of diction the reader can infer how...

Words: 443 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Rikkki Tikki Quotes

...Nagaina is a caring and wicked figure in this story. The author, Rudyard Kipling, uses personification and anthropomorphism in this story to help prove the theme of bravery for loved ones. In one example,“Now I have Nagaina to settle with, and she will be worse than five Nags.(para. 60) This implies that the characters are given the ability to talk and this is anthropomorphism. The anthropomorphism is a way for readers to better understand the theme and know when there are acts of bravery in the words and actions that the characters display. Furthermore,“Turn round, Nagaina; turn and fight!”(para. 86) This shows Rikki-tikki talking to Nagaina to fight for the safety of his human family. The anthropomorphism gives the story life and character and can show the theme in an easier way for the audience to comprehend it. In conclusion, the anthropomorphism and personification in the story provide extra hints toward the theme for the readers to better understand. The theme of Rikki-tikki-tavi is that bravery can show at its best when loved ones are in danger. Rikki-tikki and Nagaina, the main characters, contribute to the story and theme. They are the antagonist and protagonist that give the story life and character. Both of them are equally different and similar, but their actions and speech affect the theme of the story. The human characteristics or the anthropomorphism can help the readers better understand the story and the motif of Rikki-tikki-tavi. Ultimately, the story...

Words: 770 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Tikki Bravery

...character in this story Nagaina is a cowardly. The author, Rudyard Kipling, uses anthropomorphism in this story to help demonstrate feelings. In one example, Chuchundra was afraid and scared because he thought Rikki was going to kill, “Don’t kill me,” said Chuchundra, almost weeping. “Rikki-tikki, don’t kill me!”, while you reading this sentence, you could feel the energy(para37). This shows that, he was using anthropomorphism to let us know how they feel without saying hey this is how “Bob” feels. Without the feelings Rikki wouldn’t have felt anything for the family and help them. In one instance, after they killed Nag Darzee was singing a song “Nag is dead—is dead—is dead!” out of joy(para63). Thus, letting us know how happy and relieved everyone was. The author using anthropomorphism helps us understand how the characters in the story feel and help the characters with their decisions such as Rikki being brave and helping the family even though he was a little scared himself. Rudyard Kipling, the author, uses anthropomorphism in this story to help demonstrate feelings. The theme of Rikki-tikki-tavi by Rudyard Kipling, a fictional story, is no matter how big or small, even in the toughest times bravery will shine through. Rikki Tikki is a brave character in this story, along with Nagaina, another character in the story who is cowardly. The author, Rudyard Kipling, uses anthropomorphism in this story to help demonstrate feelings. This lesson teaches you that no matter how...

Words: 867 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

How Is Tikki Brave

...she was planning on hurting Rikki-tikki. Rikki-tikki was also plotting against Nagaina to injure her which means they are somewhat similar. In summary, Nagaina is a cruel character in Rikki-tikki-tavi. The author Rudyard Kipling, uses anthropomorphism in this story to help demonstrate the characters true feelings, thoughts, and personalities. In detail, “‘Nag is dead—is dead—is dead!” sang Darzee.” (para. 63) Moreover, this piece of evidence is anthropomorphism because in the story they are physically “talking.” To point out, “‘Now, if I kill him here, Nagaina will know; and if I fight him on the open floor, the odds are in his favor. What am I to do?” said Rikki-tikki-tavi.’” Once again, this is anthropomorphism because it expresses how he “feels.” This explains that Rikki-tikki was plotting his scheme carefully so he could win and save his family/friends. The author uses anthropomorphism in this text to help express the characters' real emotions. The story, Rikki-tikki-tavi, written by Rudyard Kipling has a theme which is bravery pays off. Rikki-tikki-tavi is a brave and curious mongoose who fought for his/his loved ones lives. Nagaina, one of Rikki-tikki’s enemies, is a very cruel snake, which can be similar to Rikki-tikki. Anthropomorphism impacts the story a lot by expressing the characters. This lesson applies to everyone, whether you’re a kid or an adult, bravery truly pays off when you try. ...

Words: 495 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Are We in Anthropodenial?

...with Georgia; she had taken a drink from the spigot and was sneaking up to me. I looked her straight in the eye and pointed my finger at her, warning in Dutch, "I have seen you!" She immediately stepped back, let some of the water dribble from her mouth, and swallowed the rest. I certainly do not wish to claim that she understands Dutch, but she must have sensed that I knew what she was up to, and that I was not going to be an easy target. Now, no doubt even a casual reader will have noticed that in describing Georgia's actions, I've implied human qualities such as intentions, the ability to interpret my own awareness, and a tendency toward mischief Yet scientific tradition says I should avoid such language-I am committing the sin of anthropomorphism, of turning nonhumans into humans. The word comes from the Greek, meaning "human form," and it was the ancient Greeks who first gave the practice a bad reputation. They did not have chimpanzees in...

Words: 2551 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Tikki Bravery Thesis

...In the text it states that ,Rikki Tikki and Nagaina are talking before they fight to the death to save the ones they love, what they say shows how much they want to save each of their families.(para 86-92) This demonstrates personification/anthropomorphism ,because the animals are talking and with actual meaning to their words, personification/anthropomorphism helps us better understand why the animals are fighting. Personification proves the theme by helping us easier understand what the character's traits are because they can literally speak their mind,their words show that they are striving to protect their families and remain loyal to them. In addition,Nagaina and Rikki Tikki both are trying to protect their families and are speaking.Nagaina is trying to get rid of RIkki Tikki to make a safer environment for her children and is speaking with Nag and Rikki Tikki is trying to protect his family.(para 49,50,51,53,54) This shows personification,because Rikki Tikki and Nagaina are speaking and are discussing or processing a thought either...

Words: 1031 - Pages: 5