Abstract

A visual metaphor is a storytelling tool that communicates a complex idea or emotion through a tangible image, allowing an audience to understand a concept without verbal explanation. Animation is uniquely suited for this technique because it is not limited by the rules of physical reality. Animators can personify abstract concepts, turning “Joy” or “Sadness” into literal characters, as seen in the film Inside Out. This allows for a direct exploration of a character’s internal psychological state. Environments and objects can also serve as metaphors, such as the house in Up, which physically represents the protagonist’s grief and his connection to a lost loved one. The balloons that lift the house are a literal representation of memories providing “uplift.” Animation can also use symbolic actions and objects, like the wilting enchanted rose in Beauty and the Beast, which serves as a visual metaphor for the Beast’s dying humanity and the deadline of his curse. Understanding these techniques is fundamental for animators learning to use the medium for narrative effect.

Keywords

Animation, Visual Metaphor, Symbolism, Storytelling, Personification

Animation gives storytellers the freedom to create worlds from scratch, free from the constraints of physical reality. This medium allows animators to use visual metaphor, a technique of representing an abstract idea or complex emotion through a tangible image. A live-action film may use a rainy day to suggest sadness. An animated film can show a character’s internal world literally flooding with tears. A visual metaphor communicates a concept directly to the audience, replacing verbal explanation with a visual experience.

Personifying the abstract

One of the most direct forms of visual metaphor in animation is personification. This is the technique of giving human characteristics to abstract concepts. In animation, a feeling like “Joy” does not have to be an abstract emotion; it can be a character.

The 2015 film Inside Out is built entirely on this metaphor. The film’s protagonist, Riley, has her emotions personified as characters like Joy and Sadness who operate a control panel in her mind. These characters are a literal visual metaphor for her internal psychological state. This metaphor extends to the environment of Riley’s mind. Her core memories create “Islands of Personality.” These islands are a visual metaphor for her core identity. When Riley experiences trauma, the film shows these islands physically crumbling and falling into a “Memory Dump.” This is a literal representation of a person losing their sense of self during a crisis.

Environments and objects as emotion

In animation, settings and objects can be metaphors for a character’s internal state. The 2009 film Up uses its central objects to represent the protagonist Carl’s emotions. His house is a physical metaphor for his memory of his late wife, Ellie. It is the last piece of her he has. He attaches thousands of balloons to it. The balloons literally “lift” his house, representing his memories and his promise to Ellie “lifting him up” on his journey. The house, which was his prison of grief, becomes his vessel for adventure. This directly contrasts with the gray, boxy city around him, which represents his static and lonely life.

Symbolic objects and actions

A single object or action can serve as a metaphor that defines the entire story. In Beauty and the Beast (1991), the enchanted rose is a clear visual metaphor. The rose’s slowly wilting petals are a literal clock for the curse. The rose also represents the Beast’s fragile humanity. As it dies, so does his chance to become human again.

A simpler metaphor is the plant in Wall-E (2008). The film presents a world buried in garbage, devoid of life. Wall-E, a robot, finds a single, small plant growing in a boot. This plant is a visual metaphor for new, fragile hope. The entire plot shifts as Wall-E’s directive changes from compacting trash to protecting this singular object. The plant’s survival becomes a visual representation of humanity’s chance for survival.