The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Anthropomorphism is a literary device in which nonhuman things literally embody the traits and characteristics of humans. (Personification, on the other hand, is metaphorically attributing human traits and characteristics to inanimate objects or natural phenomena through figurative language.) In fiction works, talking animals is a form of anthropomorphism. This literary device enables authors to explore ideas and beliefs from the viewpoint of animals, which in turn allows readers to view the ethical and practical problems raised in the story from the perspective of animals. In the fictional world of The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Cleary employs anthropomorphism, allowing a mouse and a boy to verbally communicate. In doing so, the author depicts the possible adventures that could ensue should a mouse and boy be able to understand one another.  

In children’s literature, anthropomorphism is typically used within the context of coming of age to explore themes of friendship and loyalty, courage, exploration and adventure, finding one’s home or place within the world, and more. Cleary uses anthropomorphism in The Mouse and the Motorcycle to thematically develop Adventure and Maturity in a Risky World, The Challenge of Secret Friendships, and The Magic of Childhood. The ability to speak and talk with others opens a window into the minds of animals. Authors and their readers thus can imagine how animals might think about their world and how they regard humans. In his conversations with Keith, the novel’s boy protagonist, Ralph reveals a distinctive attitude toward people, one that is quite different from their view of him. Whereas humans often despise mice and want to get rid of them, Ralph finds humans dangerous but incredibly useful for the food they leave behind. These chats also suggest interesting possibilities for what might happen if animals could express themselves to people. Ralph and Keith take some surprising and inventive actions together because they can communicate. As a result, their actions solve shared problems and help each other mature.

Authors use anthropomorphism to give a voice to creatures who otherwise have no say in the human activities that affect them. In Cleary’s novel, Ralph’s family of mice faces an extermination campaign, and readers see such a battle from their perspective. Other children’s authors have presented animals’ viewpoints against the backdrop of humans destroying natural habitats, as in the classic English adventure novel Watership Down (1972), or when humans kill an animal’s parent, as in the Austrian tale Bambi (1932). When Ralph speaks, his unique perspective provides insights into the challenges of growing up, making friends, taking care of others, feeling safe, and pursuing dreams.

The actions and decisions of a talking animal can serve as object lessons for even adult readers, who, like younger readerships, may be more receptive to ethical precepts presented by creatures instead of moralizing humans. An example is the New York Times bestseller Our Iceberg Is Melting (2006), in which penguins learn the hard way about adapting to a rapidly changing world. A stark lesson on the dangers of political movements likewise becomes clearer when animals experience it in the satirical 1945 novel Animal Farm by George Orwell.