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Allusions
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
49. Vardaman
Explanation and Analysis—Darl's Cat:
In a conversation with Vardaman, Darl anthropomorphizes a cat:
“What is she saying, Darl?” I say. “Who is she talking to?”
“She’s talking to God,” Darl says. “She is calling on Him to help her.”
“What does she want Him to do?” I say.
“She wants Him to hide her away from the sight of man,” Darl says.
“Why does she want to hide her away from the sight of man, Darl?”
“So she can lay down her life,” Darl says.
This passage calls the objectivity of each narrator’s account into question. Here, the reader is unsure whether Vardaman is a child being duped by a whimsical older brother or if Darl truly believes the cat is praying. At the end of the passage, the reader is ultimately unsure that they can trust either narrator.
The cat here may represent Addie, who did not want to have children and seems to have regretted marrying Anse. Like their mother, though, the children are powerless to save the cat from her fate, and her prayers likely go unanswered. Darl's use of magical anthropomorphism reflects how fantastical it is to imagine a happy ending for Addie—her satisfaction as a mother is as real as a praying cat.
Related Themes:
