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Definition of Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things (including objects, plants, and supernatural beings). Some famous examples of anthropomorphism include Winnie the Pooh, the Little Engine... read full definition
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things (including objects, plants, and supernatural beings). Some famous examples of anthropomorphism include Winnie... read full definition
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, and behaviors to animals or other non-human things (including objects, plants, and supernatural beings). Some famous... read full definition
Key Examples in Life of Pi
Chapter 11
Explanation and Analysis—Leopard's Marital Spats:
Despite claiming not to engage in anthropomorphism, Pi frequently does. He often uses anthropomorphism to blend the boundaries between human and non-human animals by highlighting their equivalent potential to be dangerous. For example, in Chapter 11, he anthropomorphizes the reasons behind a female leopard's escape from the Zurich Zoo:
She was new to the zoo and seemed to get along with the male leopard. But various paw injuries hinted at matrimonial strife.
Related Themes:
Chapter 33
Explanation and Analysis—Richard Parker:
Pi increasingly anthropomorphizes Richard Parker the tiger during their shared time on the lifeboat. As time goes on, Richard Parker seems to become more humanized, while Pi takes on a more animalistic nature. In fact, due to Richard Parker having a more human name than would be expected of a tiger, the reader might initially assume Richard Parker is a human:
Unlock with LitCharts A+On the same page there’s another group shot, mostly of schoolchildren.
He taps the photo. “That’s Richard Parker,” he says.
I’m amazed. I look closely, trying to extract personality from appearance.
Related Themes:
Chapter 45
Explanation and Analysis—Orange Juice:
Pi uses anthropomorphism to connect with and find comfort in non-human animals like Orange Juice the orangutan, whose maternal presence he finds comforting. In Chapter 45, when Orange Juice suffers a bout of seasickness, Pi finds the typically human affliction comedic:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The poor dear looked so humanly sick! It is a particularly funny thing to read human traits in animals, especially in apes and monkeys, where it is so easy. Simians are the clearest mirrors we have in the animal world. That is why they are so popular in zoos. I laughed again. I brought my hands to my chest, surprised at how I felt. Oh my. This laughter was like a volcano of happiness erupting in me. And Orange Juice had not only cheered me up; she had also taken on both our feelings of seasickness. I was feeling fine now.
Related Themes:
Chapter 68
Explanation and Analysis—Richard Parker:
Pi increasingly anthropomorphizes Richard Parker the tiger during their shared time on the lifeboat. As time goes on, Richard Parker seems to become more humanized, while Pi takes on a more animalistic nature. In fact, due to Richard Parker having a more human name than would be expected of a tiger, the reader might initially assume Richard Parker is a human:
Unlock with LitCharts A+On the same page there’s another group shot, mostly of schoolchildren.
He taps the photo. “That’s Richard Parker,” he says.
I’m amazed. I look closely, trying to extract personality from appearance.
Related Themes:
Chapter 94
Explanation and Analysis—Richard Parker:
Pi increasingly anthropomorphizes Richard Parker the tiger during their shared time on the lifeboat. As time goes on, Richard Parker seems to become more humanized, while Pi takes on a more animalistic nature. In fact, due to Richard Parker having a more human name than would be expected of a tiger, the reader might initially assume Richard Parker is a human:
Unlock with LitCharts A+On the same page there’s another group shot, mostly of schoolchildren.
He taps the photo. “That’s Richard Parker,” he says.
I’m amazed. I look closely, trying to extract personality from appearance.
Related Themes:
