Personification: It means that the attribution of human characteristics to something non-human. What will come up on people’s mind when they hear this word? This is not a special idea. People often use it unconsciously.
This time I found interesting expressions from a fairytale which are using personifications effectively. It is The Tale of Peter Rabbit written by Beatrix Potter. The character of the fairytale, Peter Rabbit, is very famous and popular among every generation. People has a common image that Peter Rabbit is a very cute character. He is a little boy, wears a blue jacket and what is more, he usually stands by his two legs. These characteristics represent that Peter Rabbit is like a human, not just a rabbit. In other words, the rabbit is personified in the fairytale. Readers feel naturally about these expressions even though these are unrealistic in their daily lives. They understand the setting of rabbit unconsciously. However, the author sometimes tried to let readers realize the truth that Peter Rabbit is just a rabbit. Here are the sentences of example:
He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes. After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, … (Potter)
Accordingly, Peter Rabbit wore on shoes at first and he might run with his two legs as a human but finally, he ran on four legs such as a real rabbit. This comparison may tell readers strangeness uniquely. (Two pictures below describe the comparison clearly.)
“The Tale of Peter Rabbit” is a children’s story but it contains unique joke for an adult. This discovery is interesting. Fairytales entertain not only children but also adults. It may be a good idea to read again memorable children’s book after became old enough. People can enjoy it from a different way.
Work Cited
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Frederick Warne, 1902.
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