Talking animals or humans in fur?: a study of anthropomorphic animals in illustrated children's literature

Abstract

This essay is an attempt at explaining the peculiar notion of dressing animals and assigning them a range of other human attributes - a phenomenon termed anthropomotphism or humanisation. The vast majority of children's literature deals with the comings and goings of such humanised animals, and this appears to be totally accepted by children and adults ahl<:e. A look at the origins of such literature indicates an age-old history. Ever since moving away from the trees and onto the plains to hunt (some 50 million years ago) humankind's study of, and fascination with animals began. Animals have resonated in the human mind ever since. Very soon humans discovered the advantages of domesticating and breeding animals, using them as workers in farming and as vehicles in battle. Humanised animal characters have origins in ancient times - fables, folk tales, fairy tales, nursery rhymes. These in turn have mythological roots; and mytl1ology has roots in humankind's age-old connection witl1 animals. The last two centuries and in particular the twentietl1 century, has seen an exponential growth of humanised animal characters tl1at seem to have lost the thread - tl1e essential piece of metaphoric string connecting them to their origins. Under the influence of the in1mensely popular, but contextless and inferior cartoon characters of the Walt Disney Empire- Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy - some children's literature seems to have lost the plot. The powerful and universally present l\tlickey Mouse brigade and all its commercial offshoots and merchandise, has cormpted many perceptions - especially visual perceptions - and has taken hwnanised animal characters to extreme absurdity. Such animal characters are not really animals, but probably rather human children or adults, dressed in fur. Or are tl1ey? It is evident that many people do not readily accepts anthropomotphic animals. From many quarters - from authors, illustrators, literary critics, academics, librarians, teachers, patents and even children - serious concern has been, and is, voiced about tl1e appropriateness and value of such literature. The reason for writing this essay, is partly because of a fascination witl1, and partly because of a concern about the value of this literary phenomenon. The asswned popularity of this kind of literature has periodically caused a glut in supply - would-be writers for children have driven some editors to the point of advertising in Wn"ter's Market that "no talking at1in1al stories will be accepted" (Rahn 1994, 149).