Essay about anthropomorphism and/or zoomorphism
Purpose of this exercise: You will actively confront or deal with the concept of anthropomorphism and/or zoomorphism.
Outcome of this exercise: Once you apply these terms by actively confronting them, you will know what the two terms mean; you will also understand their role and importance for us humans in general as well as in your culture's and in your personal stance or attitude about your surroundings.
O.K..... I've mentioned and illustrated to you the concepts of anthropomorphism and zoomorphism. Please check your notes if you're still uncertain about the meanings, importance, and universality of these words or concepts.
Here's your task:
1) Think of ONE ‘force'/‘power' that is EITHER external to us (an earthquake, [presumably] fate, or [again presumably] luck, for example) OR is [again presumably] within us, that is, internal (lust, fear or joy, for example). Your choice. State what it is, and whether it's external or internal
2) Give your ‘force'/'power' either a human and/or an (other) animal shape; remember, no matter what the shape, whether human or other life form, the characteristics (that is, its personality, its ‘attitude') will be ‘human'. Perhaps as with many of the figures in, for example, ancient Egyptian mythology, you choose to combine both. NOTE: Although perhaps your choice of ‘force'/‘power' can and does have many characteristics or aspects, for this short exercise, just think of one.
3) Describe this characteristic. Examples: Is it generous? Mean-spirited? Tricky?
4) Explain why you gave your ‘force'/'power' the characteristic you did.
5) Give it a gender. Is it male, female, neuter? A combination?
6) Explain why you assigned it the gender you did.
7) What does your ‘creation' look like? Describe it. Is it clothed? Naked? Color hair or fur? Claws? Wings? And so on.
8) Explain why you made it look as you did.
9) Conclusion. What is the purpose of your ‘force'? That is, how and why does your force interact with us humans? Remember the concept that if we humans can know/understand something we can possibly control it.
10) Give an implication (there could be many, but give just one) that could be (or perhaps, what you want to be) the result of your conclusion.