A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
Anthropomorphic animals, when taken out of narrative into actual visibility, always turn into buffoonery or nightmare.
Interpretation
What this quote means
C. S. Lewis suggests that when we remove the fantasy from anthropomorphic animals, they either lose their charm and become comical or become frightening.
This quote by C. S. Lewis highlights the tension between fantasy and reality. When anthropomorphic animals, which are typically seen in literature or cartoons with human-like traits and behaviors, are brought into the real world, they can evoke two extreme reactions: they can appear ridiculous and comedic, losing their original purpose, or they can become unsettling and fearful, shattering the innocence associated with them in fiction. Lewis points out that the magic of storytelling can be lost when those characters are interpreted too literally.
Themes
AnthropomorphicRealityFantasyLewisStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about children's literature, this quote could emphasize the charm of fantasy.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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