Question

What is it called when we give inanimate objects human qualities or characteristics? For example, in cartoons where animals or things talk and act like humans?

Answer 1

Hint: Inanimate objects are things which are either non-living or do not resemble human beings. So the application of this is found normally in cartoons. The hint here is that here we are looking for a figure of speech in which an idea or thing is assigned human characteristics and/or emotions, or is spoken of as if it were human, so we need to figure out what it is called.

Complete answer:
Normally when we think about cartoons, there are many ways in which they are made to act like human beings. Personification is normally used in such conditions where we want to give a humane picture to any inanimate object. So when the cartoon characters or any inanimate object is given human behavior it is known as personification.

So now we know that personification is a form of metaphor in which nonhuman subjects are assigned human attributes. Also remember that by assigning regular human actions and feelings to inanimate objects, creatures, and even abstract thoughts, writers are able to give them life and motion, in this way cartoons are made. The final answer here is that the required term for giving human traits to inanimate objects is personification.

Note: Let us describe another topic in brief which is the opposite of personification that is anthropomorphism. Since the words personification and anthropomorphism have very close definitions, they are often misunderstood or interchanged. Personification is where something nonhuman or abstract takes on human characteristics or reflects an attribute or meaning in human shape while anthropomorphism is where something nonhuman acts as a human. Understanding whether to use anthropomorphism and personification will help you improve your figurative language skills.