Animals in Fables

“Fables, inspired by Aesop, in this respect have generally posed a question that was at the heart of Aesop’s tales: Can human beings rise above animals?”

I found this quote extremely helpful because I’ve always wondered why the main characters in fables are always animals, yet the moral of the story applies to humans. It is interesting to think that by using animals to illustrate his point Aesop was challenging his readers/listeners to prove they are indeed more civilized than animals. Sometimes we need to view situations through a different lens in order to see the bigger picture. In addition, using animals can also aid in exaggerating some themes and qualities such as portraying the “bad guy” as a wolf.