Affect and Anthropomorphism as Humanities Therapy: Interspecies Empathy in Cat’s Night Market (｢고양이 야시장｣)

초록

Children often turn to literature for escape, discovering imaginative worlds that reflect human experiences. Anthropomorphism, or the attribution of human traits to animals or objects, plays a key role in this process, especially in children’s books. While some argue that it reinforces a human-centered view of nature, this paper, using Silvan Tomkins’s affect theory, explores how anthropomorphism can also promote empathy and ethical awareness toward animals. Within the framework of humanities therapy, the study further examines how affective and narrative encounters between humans and nonhumans can serve as a form of emotional healing and moral reflection. Through the case study of The Cat’s Night Market, the paper shows how mythological and anthropomorphic elements shape children’s moral understanding and social values. It argues that anthropomorphism extends beyond storytelling to influence real-world relationships, strengthening both human-human and human-animal connections. Ultimately, anthropomorphism is not merely a literary device to engage young readers but a meaningful tool for nurturing compassion, resolving conflict, and deepening appreciation of the nonhuman world.

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