Throughout The Jungle Book, Kipling uses anthropomorphism to give animals human qualities. This allows the beasts of the jungle to communicate, express emotions and form societies with complex structures. By giving animals human characteristics, Kipling blurs the lines between “Man-cub” and beast. The actions of animals mirror human behavior, allowing readers to see them in a new context and engage with the morals of each story in a new way. This use of anthropomorphism also allows readers to feel sympathy for animals they might not otherwise have. For example, it gives human attributes like love and loyalty to Mother and Father Wolf, who might otherwise seem like frightening predators.
This anthropomorphism, however, has unpleasant ties to the concept of British imperialism. Mowgli, a human child, stands superior to all of the animals from the time he comes to the jungle. The teachings of Bagheera and Baloo reproduce the strict rules and social hierarchies of British India. Mowgli is taught that everyone must know their place. Because of this, there's an underlying implication of the colonizer's "superiority" over the colonized. Mowgli's journey of growth, learning, and eventual dominance over the jungle is symbolic of the British Empire's expansion and rule over its colonies. Critics of the book have pointed out that its dynamics are reminiscent of how colonized societies were viewed by imperialists: as "inferior," "wild," or "uncivilized" compared to the “civilized” West.
The animals in the book also embody a kind of "natural" wisdom. They operate based on instinct and learn through experience. They also only need to be taught the “Law of the Jungle” as it applies to them, because they only have one path to follow. Mowgli, starting as an ignorant outsider, acquires knowledge through their teachings but learns more than any of them individually know. The related concept of "Master Words" further emphasizes the way the book’s anthropomorphism blends together its themes of British Imperialism and coming of age. By acquiring these words, Mowgli can communicate with all animals. This represents the imperialist idea that a colonizer will be able to learn the niceties of any society in order to control it.
