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Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is where nonliving things are given human attributes. Therefore, anthropomorphism is more likely in cases where nonhuman agents do not function the way they are intended. Anthropomorphism is portrayed in movies as familiarizing perplex interactions between animals by applying humanized emotions, thoughts and feelings to the actions of animals in order to understand them. In the movie the Jungle Book, the animals such as Baloo, Raksha and other animals are given human characteristics. They are being protective and caring towards Mowgli and therefore seen as a parental figures to him. Humans as natural born authoritarians, we must institute a human conscience to animals to direct and influence their environment based on our humane perspective. Also, the more intelligent and advanced species (humans) assimilate themselves in nature by assigning human attributes to non-human objects (animals) to encourage the concept that "we are all one in nature." Anthropomorphism is mainly used in children's movies which can often lead to wild animals being seen as friendly and approachable which can be harmful. Patricia Ganea, a psychologist at Toronto University, through her experiments concluded that anthropomorphism in movies can lead to misinterpretation of biological processes in nature. Ganea stated that it can also lead to inappropriate behaviors in children, where they would like to adopt a wild animal or they may misunderstand the actions of a wild animal to be friendly.

Characters

The characters in the movie were depicted in a more mature way which instituted changes from Rudyard Kipling's original story. These characters were formed in a way that could be understood by a child and agree with their ecological role in the real world.

Baloo

His appearance is similar to that of a Himalayan brown bear which is not found in Seoni (where the story took place) but may be found in Northern India. In Rudyard Kipling’s work he described Baloo as “the sleepy brown bear", but his description of the bear aligns with that of a sloth bear excluding the color of his fur. In this movie he is portrayed as a care-free friendly bear which is far-fetched from Kipling’s original story, where Baloo is a strict teacher which teaches the law of the jungle to the wolf-cubs and Mowgli.

Kaa

Kaa is depicted as python species in India called Python Molurus. This species of pythons can typically grow to 3 m (9.8 ft) and longer. He is also depicted to have the ability of mind control and hypnosis which allows his eyes to fill with centric blue, yellow and purple circles successfully placing his victims in a trance. In the movie Kaa is female and has a very alluring voice which she uses for mind control, both these instants were not part of the original book, where Kaa does the “hungry dance” to hypnotize his victims. He has also been altered to be an antagonist in films and productions whereas in Kipling’s story he is a protagonist which helps Baloo and Bagherra to save Mowgli from the bandar-log (monkeys).

Bagheera

Bagheera is shown as a Black panther and he portrays characteristics similar to the 1967 animated version of the jungle book. He is seen as an adviser, mentor and parental figure to Mowgli in both films. The interaction between Mowgli and Bagheera would be observed as an adoptive father and son relationship. This is a form of anthropomorphism. A panther is a solitary animal and does not interact with many animals or other panthers, unless it is for breeding. Bagheera is first depicted as a loner (solitary) but he stays with Baloo and Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's book. A black panther is the melanistic version of a leopard (other cats). A recessive gene in leopards allows offspring to have melanism. Bagaheera inherited this gene, resulting in his fur being black (melanin). This is an advantage in areas of dense forest, where light levels are lower, like the Indian jungle.

Raksha

Raksha is the alpha female wolf of the pack and Mowgli's adoptive mother. She is the alpha female, which means she and the alpha are the only wolves that breed and produce pups in the pack which was shown in the 2016 film. Raksha adopts Mowgli into her litter as her son and was very protective of him. The character showed deep emotions of a mother to her pup, Mowgli, throughout the film. Akela, the alpha male wolf was depicted to be bigger than Raksha, allowing the audience to see the distinction between alpha and alpha female and the other wolves.

Environmental Features

The presence of a jungle law was made in Rudyard Kipling's short story collection. A pledge was made and recited between the wolves and the organisms to uphold a space of peace. This was portrayed anthropomorphically in the live-action film "The Jungle Book" (2016) to show the comparison between a human pledge or anthem of harmony among individuals, to that of the animals of the jungle. The human is looked down upon by his leader Akela (alpha male wolf) when he uses tricks to overcome challenges. This shows the disconnect between humans and animals. Humans use innovation and initiative to fix a problem where as an animal's nature is to react on its instincts.

The animals which gathered together to drink water peacefully at the watering hole is unrealistic, as competition for resources (water) is present among animals in the Indian Jungle. One day, during the dry season, the jungle animals gather to drink water that remains as part of a truce during a drought, that enables the jungle's wildlife to drink without fear of predation. The truce serves as an example of anthropomorphism. It is unrealistic as to how the animals in the film have human attributes and to how they have a mutual agreement when it came to hunting. Predators such as Shere Khan (tiger) would initiate a more fearful reaction among the animals. The tiger's nature as a predator is to capture and eat pray (carnivore), so realistically he would attack the primary consumers or herbivores near the water.

In the film, a depiction of the wolves' roles is identified. There’s such an order—a hierarchy to a wolf pack. Mowgli tries to fit in with the other wolf pups and find his role in the pack. In the process he faces many challenges, but he is very much a part of the pack as far as Raksha (Alpha female wolf) is concerned.

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