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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
The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World
Explanation and Analysis—The Virtues:
Cavendish uses anthropomorphism to create humanized embodiments of virtues. The virtues of Fortune, Honesty, Truth, and Prudence, as well as Rashness and Folly, are anthropomorphized during the Duchess and Empress’s attempt to convince Fortune to forgive the Duke. This conversation is a physical manifestation of Cavendish’s plea on behalf of her husband, as well as a vehicle for her philosophical exploration and arguments.
Prudence and Honesty are described as “somewhat like spirits, because they are immaterial, although their actions are corporeal.” When Fortune rises to make her speech, Cavendish writes, “Fortune standing upon a golden globe, made this following speech.” Here, Fortune is described as literally standing, demonstrating that the virtue is anthropomorphized, literally acting as a human. Not only does Fortune speak as a human would, but she is physically embodied as a human. This is also evidenced in how the Duchess describes Fortune as having physically fought with the Duke: Fortune “fought with him in several battles; nay, many times, hand to hand; at last, she being a powerful princess […].”
This scene is a chance for Cavendish to argue with readers on behalf of the Duke. She asserts in her speech to Fortune that the Duke, who lost his estate and wealth during the English Civil War, deserves to regain his estate because he values honesty and is a gentleman. The debate with Fortune is an anthropomorphized debate: the Duchess and Empress talk to the physical manifestations of virtues. While in the real world, Cavendish has no one to turn to in order to argue on behalf of her husband, in the Blazing World, she can directly talk to Fortune and, by proxy, the reader.
Explanation and Analysis—Animal Hybrid Creatures:
A key element of The Blazing World is its anthropomorphized animal hybrid creatures. In Part 1, Cavendish describes them as such:
The rest of the inhabitants of that world, were men of several different sorts, shapes, figures, dispositions, and humours, as I have already made mention heretofore; some were bear-men, some worm-men, some fish- or mear-men … each followed such a profession as was most proper for the nature of their species
The different species of the Blazing World are all anthropomorphized versions of different animal species. They are animals with the capacity for reasoning and consciousness like humans. Each species represents a specific science or philosophy, and each has a unique role in the Blazing World. Their profession reflects what is the “most proper nature of their species.” They are the anthropomorphized embodiments of different sciences, and they also represent various philosophies. For example, the worm-men are natural philosophers who teach the Empress about different animals and states of being, given their in-ground knowledge. The bird-men, on the other hand, discuss the sky and their understanding of the celestial system.
Cavendish chooses to anthropomorphize these animals so that the Empress can have dialogues with them about science and philosophy. Instead of having the Empress about certain ideas at play in Cavendish’s (real) world, Cavendish has the Empress talk to anthropomorphized versions of these ideas in the form of animal-human hybrids. The anthropomorphized creatures thus become tools for philosophy and debate.
Related Themes:
