I was a weird kid...

Anthropomorphism- the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.

I believe everyone is an anthropomorphist starting from a very young age. By the time we can talk we are conversing with teddy bears, and tucking our Barbie in at night. None of our toys are alive and yet we believe them to be so. You can chalk this up to the imagination but I chose to associate it with anthropomorphism. I found it very hard to get rid of stuffed animals and dolls and I still have several –in my attic granted- because they were too real to me to give away. It is not just an attachment; you feel attached to things. For me these toys have personalities. Starting at a very young age I believed all of my dolls and toys to be alive in some way. Maybe not even with the personality I was assigning them when I played but I believed they had a consciousness. I guess I was a weird kid because it was not just my toys. It was the rocks on the playground the tire swing the trees. All of these things were very alive and aware to me. I thought everyone felt that way. Boy was I surprised when I expressed my feelings and people were confused.



Toy Story 3 was one of the best movies ever am I right



Good thing anthropomorphizing is normal in writing. Things like swords and items of power in books like Eragon tend to be given personalities and life. A good example is the ring in Lord of the Rings.  It’s just a ring and yet it is characterized as evil and dangerous. Downright detrimental. Not just because dangerous people wanted it but because it itself is hazardous. The whole Toy Story series is anthropomorphized! They are toys! Speaking! Alive! Doing human things! This was very exciting for me as a child because finally someone got it! Yes, toys were alive!  Now you have movies like Monster House where houses come alive and try to eat people. Granted it’s attributed later to the idea that the scary old guy’s dead wife is the spirit of the house but before that the house is just considered evil. It had human features like a face and a tongue and a uvula and had a personality to match. Anthropomorphized to the max.  

Whoa Scary

Anthropomorphism can really contribute to a piece of work. It can make an object such as a sword or a ring even more important and add clever plot twists (such as making Frodo go crazy.) However doing it personally in your everyday life can make you one weird kid… and teenager. Bugs for instance. I cannot kill them it’s not just the act of taking a life or whatever it’s because they have personalities to me. I think about it if I accidentally kill one I feel really, really bad. This leads to a lot of jaunts carrying bug filled cups outdoors and clearing snails off the drive way – at least mosquitos personalities are annoying.   



Disgusting