Watership Down

Watership Down

In Watership Down, a novel by Richard Adams, a group of rabbits are searching for a new home. Hazel, Fiver, Blackberry, and Bigwig are four of these rabbits who each contribute in different ways to the success of their quest to find a warren where they can live and prosper. Each rabbit uses his special talents to overcome obstacles both during the quest and during the establishment of the new warren.

Hazel is the leader of the band of rabbits and many of his natural leadership qualities lead to the group’s success. First, Hazel trusts in his rabbits which he demonstrates by believing all of Fiver’s visions. When Fiver goes to speak to Threarah about the horror that lies ahead in the Sandleford Warren’s future and begins to feel helpless, Hazel stands up for Fiver. Hazel realizes that some animals have special and useful gifts that his rabbits lack and by helping and befriending animals in need, such as the mice and Kehaar, Hazel and his group receive help in the future at crucial times. Furthermore, as the head of the crowd, Hazel has a great amount of control at almost all times, especially when he keeps his cool as the group heard someone calling Bigwig’s name. This leads his followers to trust him and have faith in him. He also inspires faith in the rest of the rabbits because he is never too hasty and makes quick, intelligent decisions which encourage them not to give up. Proving that he is a good leader, Hazel stays calm under pressure and thinks quickly on his feet, like when he dodges the cat at the farm. Hazel always risks his own life instead of the lives of others too. For example, he does so in the adventure involving the dog for the safety of the warren, and when he takes a bullet while trying to free the does, and whenever he is leading the band forward, he goes ahead to make sure the way is safe. Hazel’s loyalty to the rabbits’ mission also contributes to their success; Hazel drives the group on by his strength of will and makes them believe they can keep going. With the safety of the group in mind at all times, Hazel acts accordingly and is not foolhardy. He never counts anyone out and takes ideas from whoever suggests them as long as he believes they will work. This proves to be beneficial when Blackberry suggests using the wood to float across the river and when Bigwig offers fighting techniques. In addition, Hazel realizes that without does their warren will not survive. Finally and most importantly, Hazel knows how to bring out the best in each of the rabbits by utilizing their special talents to help in finding a new home; he seeks the advice of Blackberry, listens to Fiver, and encourages Bigwig to help in forming plans to get some does and to fight the Efrafans. Hazel demonstrates all of the qualities of a good leader and thus, uses his talents to contribute to the success of finding a new warren to live and prosper in.

Fiver, the smallest of the group, happens to have one of the most important roles in the achievement of their new warren; he is the seer of the group, he has prophetic dreams, and he can sense danger. Fiver knows something bad will happen to the home warren and his vision leads to the rabbits leaving. If they did not leave, they most likely would have been killed like the majority of the population who stayed. Fiver describes the place the hlessil need to reach and warns Hazel of the trouble they will face along the way. When the rabbits reach Cowslip’s mysterious warren, Fiver is the only one who senses a bad feeling about the place and once Bigwig is snared, the others believe him. After Hazel is shot by the men the rabbits believe he is dead, but Fiver has a dream that Hazel is still alive. Fiver convinces Blackberry to return to the farm with him, where they find Hazel alive but hurt. Fiver’s prophetic dream on the day Woundwort attacks puts him into a sort of trance which leads the Efrafans to believe he is dead, however, Fiver awakes just in time to predict the defeat of the Efrafans. Throughout their journey, he trusts his instincts and is unafraid of unfamiliar things because he does not sense danger about them, while the others are skeptical to the unknown like cars, boats, and bridges. He often reassures the group that there is nothing to be afraid of and that just because things are unfamiliar it does not mean that are dangerous, especially when they have to cross the bridge. He is a calm, confident voice of reassurance in foreign situations. Finally, Fiver helps Hazel to guide the group because he knows what they are looking for and senses