Watership Down Chapters 12-17 discussion

Hey all,

Again, sorry about the lateness. It is now discussion time!

So, Cowslip's warren. I thought it was one of the more interesting parts of the book, in my opinion, mostly because there's more than just a hint of culture. Because of the warren's unique circumstances, the rabbits there have created a society based on avoidance and denial. What ultimately makes this interesting is that it's not entirely far removed from real life: animals without a doubt adapt their lifestyles to different environments. Those who cannot adapt must leave, or risk death.

This is also the point of the book where the dynamics of all the Sandleford rabbits are tested. Fiver's complete and total aversion to Cowslip's warren is completely at odds with the rest of the group, who only want security. He and Bigwig in particular seemed to butt heads: Bigwig always strikes me as the kind of character who doesn't put a whole lot of merit on "bad feelings" and premonitions. The rest of the rabbits, too, are simply exhausted by their whole idea and wish to settle down. It reminded me a lot of human group dynamics; I'm sure many of you have experienced much the same sorts of problems as the Sandleford rabbits.

All right, I think that's all I have for now. Next discussion will be Thursday, September 17, for chapters 18-23. Hopefully this is acceptable to everyone.

Till next time,

Ellen