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Watership Down By Richard Adams: Character Analysis

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There are multiple structures of human society in the world. In the book "Watership Down" by Richard Adams, Adams draws similarities between rabbit and human society. There are two different warrens, a group of rabbits, that represent totalitarian and democratic government. Hazel rules over the democratic warren Watership Down while General Woundwort rules over the totalitarian warren Efrafa. Their pasts influence the structure of their societies. Hazel encourages independent thinking while Woundwort restricts it. Hazel leads through the support of his people while Woundwort holds power out of fear. Hazel finds new ways to solve problems while Woundwort sticks to his structure to ensure safety. Hazel and General Woundwort serve as foils, symbolizing …show more content…

In the beginning of the book Hazel “although he was a yearling and still below full weight, he had not the harassed look of most outskirts” (Adams 4). At an early age, Hazel does not meet the requirements to hold a leadership position and is considered as one of the normal rabbits, but he shows that he is different than the common rabbit. Hazel does not begin the journey to find a new home with the unwavering love and trust of the other rabbits. Similar to democracy, Hazel has to prove his worth in order to become the chief rabbit (Kitchell). This shows that a leader in a democratic society has to prove his/her abilities. It is a position that has to be earned unlike positions that are based solely on social status. General Woundwort's childhood was without nurturing and love because he was motherless and without a community. Due to this lack of nurture, Woundwort turned into a savage monster who craved power ("Watership Down" Novels 344). Woundwort's tragic past turned him into the monster rabbit he is today. He found a warren and killed their chief rabbit to take power. His past is similar to a dictator in human society. Stalin killed his opponents in order to gain and remain in power. The pasts of the two leaders brings them to how they view others'

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