Alike Ours : Analytical Book Review of Watership Down
Alike Ours
Richard Adams creates a world of ‘fluffy rabbits' – different yet alarmingly similar to man's – all the while, delivering messages to the messed up society man created.
BY MICHELLE NING
The reader starts at Sandleford warren where a young runt rabbit, Fiver carries an unusual gift – the ability to foresee future dangers. Fiver foresees a great danger coming to the warren, and warns Hazel, his brother. "I don't know what it is… but it's coming. Oh Hazel, look! The field! It's covered with blood!" (23). This ‘warning' is soon brought to the Owsla – the council/army – just to be ignored. Fiver's abrupt senses - having happened before - worry Hazel, and soon, they decide they must flee, taking a few close ones with them. In the quest for Watership Down, the rabbits forgo a series of roadblocks, until Hazel finds a warren inhabited by a group of rabbits that aren't afraid of ‘man'. In the new found society, man is considered ‘kind', leaving food out for rabbits everyday. Fiver senses oddness but does not figure out what it is until Bigwig – a member of Hazel's runaway group – is caught in a snare. Again, the rabbits are on the move, and with Fiver's guidance, reach Watership Down – the ideal place for the creation of a warren.
WATERSHIP DOWN
By Richard Adams
494pp. Avon Books. U.S. $7.50
After having settled for a while, befriended a few animals – a wounded bird, Kehaar – Hazel is yet to be presented with another problem. In a band of young males, does were required to sustain warren life. Kehaar is sent out, and finds a large overpopulating colony - Efrafra. The reader comes to know that General Woundwort is the chief rabbit of Efrafra. In this warren, rules are planted, and rabbits are trained to have no mercy. Hazel visits and tries to recruit a few does, but barely comes back alive. Carrying the knowledge that many in Efrafra yearn for freedom, Hazel, and Bigwig devise a plan to rescue the mistreated rabbits to Watership Down. The plan works well, but soon, Woundwort's Owsla is after Hazel and many others.
As the reader continues to process all the information laid out, slowly an analogy between the rabbits' life and human society appear. One will discover through the ruthless tyranny, and rebellions, the link between Richard Adam's characters and mankind. The many rabbit warrens – Efrafra, Watership Down, and Sandleford – may be represented as different human colonies. The many ways the warrens are goverened represent different forms of men's government. In Sandleford, the rabbits are living in a communist society – where the Owsla makes all decisions. The communist-represented society soon fails when the views of the society are repeatedly ignored. On the other hand, the Efrafran warren plays the role of totalitarian control, when all is controlled by one powerful figure – General Woundwort. Woundwort's warren could be best compared to the totalitarian societies in man's world.
The Efrafran community is strictly powered by the governmental advantages in abusing the weaklings. All is to be done, only under Woundwort's command. "Only a certain number can be above ground at one time. Every rabbit is marked when he's a kitten, they bite him, deep, and under the chin… or forepaw. Then they can be [identified] by the scar for the rest of their lives. You mustn't be found above ground unless it's the right time of day for your Mark." (245) Adams purposely makes Efrafra - communist society – collapse, and allows Watership Down to continue to thrive. Adams wanted the public to notice that democracy was what man needed, by projecting an ideal society – where matter is decided upon by the will of the people. ‘Watership Down' was exactly what humans needed, and more.
Back to the context, a while after Watership Down was found, Hazel is greeted by a torn, injured rabbit that used to inhabit at Sandleford. Hazel soon comes to know that Fiver's vision was true; mankind had come to tear up Sandleford after Hazel had left. "All other elil do what they have to do and Frith moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals." (163) This was another message Adams tried to deliver to the world. In the rabbit's dialogue, Adams pleas to the society to cease the destruction of the environment. Throughout Watership Down, mankind has played a damaging role – mankind being the only reason Fiver, Hazel and others had to leave Sandleford. At one point, Adams lets loose his grip, and allows the reader to value the importance of mankind to nature. Towards the end of the novel, a little girl saves Hazel from a pack of dogs, and Adams uses this action to create a message: Though humans continue to break the rules of nature, – by destroying to populate their own kind– humans will always be able to tighten the rein, and step back in, to help nature in ways nature, herself, cannot. At the end, nature will always take back what she has given. And so, after many years of managing the warren, the Black Rabbit of Inle – rabbit's grim reaper – came to ask Hazel to join his Owsla.
"El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy… whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner. Be cunning and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed. And El-ahrairah knew then that … he would not be mocked, yet Frith was his friend. And every evening, when Frith has done his day's work … El-ahrairah and his children and his children's children come out of their holes and feed and play in his sight, for they are his friends and he has promised them that they can never be destroyed." (46)
And so, having compared rabbits' colonies to man's vast societies, what to do with Adam's rabbit folklore? Just plain food for thought.
Richard Adams creates a world of ‘fluffy rabbits' – different yet alarmingly similar to man's – all the while, delivering messages to the messed up society man created.
BY MICHELLE NING
The reader starts at Sandleford warren where a young runt rabbit, Fiver carries an unusual gift – the ability to foresee future dangers. Fiver foresees a great danger coming to the warren, and warns Hazel, his brother. "I don't know what it is… but it's coming. Oh Hazel, look! The field! It's covered with blood!" (23). This ‘warning' is soon brought to the Owsla – the council/army – just to be ignored. Fiver's abrupt senses - having happened before - worry Hazel, and soon, they decide they must flee, taking a few close ones with them. In the quest for Watership Down, the rabbits forgo a series of roadblocks, until Hazel finds a warren inhabited by a group of rabbits that aren't afraid of ‘man'. In the new found society, man is considered ‘kind', leaving food out for rabbits everyday. Fiver senses oddness but does not figure out what it is until Bigwig – a member of Hazel's runaway group – is caught in a snare. Again, the rabbits are on the move, and with Fiver's guidance, reach Watership Down – the ideal place for the creation of a warren.
WATERSHIP DOWN
By Richard Adams
494pp. Avon Books. U.S. $7.50
After having settled for a while, befriended a few animals – a wounded bird, Kehaar – Hazel is yet to be presented with another problem. In a band of young males, does were required to sustain warren life. Kehaar is sent out, and finds a large overpopulating colony - Efrafra. The reader comes to know that General Woundwort is the chief rabbit of Efrafra. In this warren, rules are planted, and rabbits are trained to have no mercy. Hazel visits and tries to recruit a few does, but barely comes back alive. Carrying the knowledge that many in Efrafra yearn for freedom, Hazel, and Bigwig devise a plan to rescue the mistreated rabbits to Watership Down. The plan works well, but soon, Woundwort's Owsla is after Hazel and many others.
As the reader continues to process all the information laid out, slowly an analogy between the rabbits' life and human society appear. One will discover through the ruthless tyranny, and rebellions, the link between Richard Adam's characters and mankind. The many rabbit warrens – Efrafra, Watership Down, and Sandleford – may be represented as different human colonies. The many ways the warrens are goverened represent different forms of men's government. In Sandleford, the rabbits are living in a communist society – where the Owsla makes all decisions. The communist-represented society soon fails when the views of the society are repeatedly ignored. On the other hand, the Efrafran warren plays the role of totalitarian control, when all is controlled by one powerful figure – General Woundwort. Woundwort's warren could be best compared to the totalitarian societies in man's world.
The Efrafran community is strictly powered by the governmental advantages in abusing the weaklings. All is to be done, only under Woundwort's command. "Only a certain number can be above ground at one time. Every rabbit is marked when he's a kitten, they bite him, deep, and under the chin… or forepaw. Then they can be [identified] by the scar for the rest of their lives. You mustn't be found above ground unless it's the right time of day for your Mark." (245) Adams purposely makes Efrafra - communist society – collapse, and allows Watership Down to continue to thrive. Adams wanted the public to notice that democracy was what man needed, by projecting an ideal society – where matter is decided upon by the will of the people. ‘Watership Down' was exactly what humans needed, and more.
Back to the context, a while after Watership Down was found, Hazel is greeted by a torn, injured rabbit that used to inhabit at Sandleford. Hazel soon comes to know that Fiver's vision was true; mankind had come to tear up Sandleford after Hazel had left. "All other elil do what they have to do and Frith moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals." (163) This was another message Adams tried to deliver to the world. In the rabbit's dialogue, Adams pleas to the society to cease the destruction of the environment. Throughout Watership Down, mankind has played a damaging role – mankind being the only reason Fiver, Hazel and others had to leave Sandleford. At one point, Adams lets loose his grip, and allows the reader to value the importance of mankind to nature. Towards the end of the novel, a little girl saves Hazel from a pack of dogs, and Adams uses this action to create a message: Though humans continue to break the rules of nature, – by destroying to populate their own kind– humans will always be able to tighten the rein, and step back in, to help nature in ways nature, herself, cannot. At the end, nature will always take back what she has given. And so, after many years of managing the warren, the Black Rabbit of Inle – rabbit's grim reaper – came to ask Hazel to join his Owsla.
"El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy… whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner. Be cunning and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed. And El-ahrairah knew then that … he would not be mocked, yet Frith was his friend. And every evening, when Frith has done his day's work … El-ahrairah and his children and his children's children come out of their holes and feed and play in his sight, for they are his friends and he has promised them that they can never be destroyed." (46)
And so, having compared rabbits' colonies to man's vast societies, what to do with Adam's rabbit folklore? Just plain food for thought.
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