The subject that will be covered in this dissertation is the use of Anthropomorphism in animated film including Halas & Batchelor’s “Animal Farm”, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King”. Why do films such as these use animals as the protagonist? The dissertation analyses the research found on anthropomorphism and the authors that have covered the reasons why animals are used so widely in animation. The term anthropomorphism is used when an animal or object is given human characteristics and behaviour. The first implication of anthropomorphism came about in the late 19th century and as independent scholar Nigel Rothfels states:
“It was during the nineteenth century, with the rise of modernism in literature and art that animals came to occupy the thoughts of a culture in transition. As they disappeared, animals became increasingly the subjects of a nostalgic curiosity.” (Rothfels, 2002:124)
Rothfels informs us that the original meaning of anthropomorphism was connected with the use of animal icons in religion. Lecture Robin Allan in his essay “European influences on early Disney feature films” (1997:245) agrees that anthropomorphism is ancient and from “Aesop onwards (it) has been used for many purposes including social and political satire.” During modernity there was a shift in beliefs and with this change animals represented culture in transition and there was an element of sentimentality to anthropomorphism and in the 20th century the growth of technology saw this expand further. According to evidence gathered from research in sociology covered in more depth in Sun Ping, Teacher of Ideological and Political Theory at a University in Beijing article (May 2015) Animals and humans share many similar traits and that it is possible for humans and animals to interact harmoniously.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Chapter 1. Animal Farm
3. Chapter 2. Beauty and the Beast
4. Chapter 3. The Lion King
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This dissertation explores the role of anthropomorphism in animated film, specifically analyzing how animal characters are utilized to represent human traits, complex social issues, and political critiques across different cinematic styles. The study investigates why animation serves as a unique medium for these portrayals compared to live-action films.
- The psychological function of animal characters in children's media and their connection to childhood development.
- Political allegory and satire, focusing on the use of animals in Halas & Batchelor’s Animal Farm.
- The "Disneyfication" of fairy tales and the marketing of cuteness in Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
- Application of Paul Wells’ "Bestial Ambivalence" model to categorize the representation of animals in animation.
Excerpt from the Book
Chapter 1 – Animal Farm
Animal Farm (1954) is an animated film directed by Joy Batchelor and John Halas. Adapted from George Orwell’s novel written in 1945, the story is about the farm animals of Manor Farm. Old Major an elderly pig tells the animals before he dies that men are the enemy and the animals should take action against Farmer Jones. The drunk farmer Jones mistreats the animals and forgets to feed them. So the animals take matters into their own hands, chase the farmer out and achieve freedom calling the farm, Animal Farm. The wisest animals being the pigs start leading the other animals and develop laws of Animalism. The other animals, not as intelligent, follow what the pigs say. George Orwell’s had clear political intentions for writing this novel as satire on the Russian revolution. “..Orwell’s overriding concern was to provide a rounded understanding of totalitarianism.” (Bounds, Philip. 2009:27) And Animal Farm (1945) was one of his famous efforts to exploit totalitarianism.
Totalitarianism is the term used for a political system where the state holds complete control over the society and plans to control life be it private or public. Visually demonstrated in the poster below (see fig. 1.) It shows the propaganda for the Stakhanovite movement which encouraged workers in Soviet Russia to exceed production quotas. It can be believed that Orwell used animals as his main characters as a metaphor for society, to prove people in government don’t always care for the welfare of the everyday citizen and become greedy with power.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter introduces the dissertation's focus on anthropomorphism in animated films and establishes the theoretical framework regarding the historical shift in the representation of animals in art and literature.
Chapter 1. Animal Farm: This section analyzes the 1954 animated adaptation as a serious political satire, using Paul Wells' Bestial Ambivalence model to explain how animal characters symbolize human societal flaws and totalitarian power dynamics.
Chapter 2. Beauty and the Beast: This chapter examines Disney's adaptation of the fairy tale, discussing the impact of "disneyfication" and how anthropomorphized characters serve to teach moral lessons about human sexuality, love, and redemption.
Chapter 3. The Lion King: The final analysis explores Disney's creation of an original narrative that relies on the "cuteness" factor for marketing, while investigating how the film utilizes hierarchy and royalty metaphors to reflect human social structures.
Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, noting that while Disney uses anthropomorphism for sentimentality and escapism, other works like Animal Farm utilize it as a potent tool for social and political critique.
Keywords
Anthropomorphism, Animation, Animal Farm, Disney, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Paul Wells, Bestial Ambivalence, Totalitarianism, Fairy Tales, Intertextuality, Childhood, Marketing, Symbolism, Satire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The work examines the use of anthropomorphism in animated films and explores the reasons why filmmakers use animal protagonists to convey complex human emotions and social narratives.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
Key themes include the political use of animal metaphors, the psychological significance of animal figures in children's media, the evolution of storytelling in animation, and the "Disneyfication" of classic fairy tales.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to understand how the medium of animation, through anthropomorphism, allows creators to address serious or taboo subjects, such as politics and human psychology, in a way that live-action films often cannot.
Which scientific or analytical models are used?
The author primarily utilizes Paul Wells’ "Bestial Ambivalence" model, alongside theories from figures like Bruno Bettelheim, Marina Warner, and Roland Barthes to categorize and interpret the animated texts.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The body provides a comparative analysis of three major films: the politically driven Animal Farm, and the Disney productions Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
Which keywords characterize this research?
The research is characterized by terms such as Anthropomorphism, Animation, Bestial Ambivalence, Disney, Totalitarianism, and Fairy Tales.
How does the author distinguish between Disney's approach and Halas & Batchelor's?
The author highlights that while Disney uses animals to maximize cuteness and provide escapist entertainment, Halas & Batchelor use animals in Animal Farm for serious, raw political satire without relying on sentimentality.
What role does the "Bestial Ambivalence" model play in this study?
It serves as the analytical tool used to identify the stages of animal representation—ranging from "pure animal" to "critical human"—within the narratives of the analyzed films.
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- Esme Wells (Autor:in), 2016, From Pure Animal to Critical Human. Why Do We Use Anthropomorphism in Animation?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/338189
