Excuse Me, But Your Species is Showing: How the Friction Between Anthropomorphism and Otherness Ignites Life in Nonhuman Characters
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Authors
Bishop, Mary C
Issue Date
2024-05-31
Type
Language
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Abstract
Nonhuman narrators and protagonists have existed since pre-humans depicted the hunt on cave walls. But somehow in modern literature, as the intended reader’s age increases, the likelihood of hearing a nonhuman’s voice decreases. What is appealing and empathetic for the young is often considered childish and gimmicky for adults.
By looking at two works of fiction [the novel The Humans by Matt Haig and the short story “Direction of the Road” by Ursula K. Le Guin] and two works of nonfiction [the memoir Angus by Charles Siebert and the essay “Harriet” by Elena Passarello] I explore how the authors manipulate the friction between anthropomorphism and otherness to create relatable nonhuman characters. They use a myriad of craft techniques to develop the communication, personality, and desires of these individuals, including varying fonts, complex sentence structure, the “fairytale technique,” and mini chapters. The degree to which a reader is willing to follow such a character depends on the degree to which the author commits to it.