What is Watership Down a metaphor for?

It has been endlessly picked apart and analysed and described as an allegory for both communism and Christianity but the daughters of Richard Adams have revealed the true meaning of Watership Down. “It’s just a story about rabbits.”

Why is Watership Down Controversial?

This choice has been quite controversial though, and in 2012, the BBFC admitted that it had “received complaints about the suitability of Watership Down at ‘U’ almost every year since its classification”. In the U.S. the film was rated PG due to the violent scenes.

How realistic is Watership Down?

Watership Down (1972) is a very clever book. It’s fantasy, certainly, but what Adams does is takes the realistic details of the lives of rabbits and then writes about them as if they were sapient. Or rather it’s both, and the classical resonances give weight and shape to the story of the rabbits.

Does Watership Down have a deeper meaning?

For years, many have believed that Watership Down had a secondary, and much deeper, meaning. The dictatorial elements have been described as a metaphor for communism while some viewers have even likened the entire story to a take on Christianity.

What does Watership Down symbolize?

While Watership Down is symbolic of democracy in action, Efrafa, a neighboring warren run by the cruel and violent General Woundwort, is symbolic of authoritarianism and fascism. In Efrafa, rabbits are marked at birth…

Does Watership Down have a happy ending?

The Watership Down book ending is happy, but with a hell of a lot of darkness and sadness thrown in for good measure. So the whole story is about a rabbit called Hazel trying to lead a load of other rabbits to a new warren after his younger brother Fiver predicts something dangerous is going to happen.

Is Watership Down brutal?

Watership Down is a bit of a conundrum. The classic children’s novel by Richard Adams, about a band of rabbits trying to establish a safe home in the English countryside, is a little too subtle and complex for (young) children. And the 1978 animated film is definitely too violent and terrifying for them.

Who is El Ahrairah?

The folk hero of rabbits. El-ahrairah is the ultimate trickster, the prince of the rabbits who tries to trick even Lord Frith himself, the sun god and creator. El-ahrairah’s adventures, often with the aid of his friend Rabscuttle, are a part of rabbit lore, and Dandelion tells many of his stories.

What is the story behind Watership Down?

Watership Down is the tale of a group of rabbits in search of a home. Fiver tells the Threarah that he foresees great danger, but the Chief Rabbit does not believe him. Hazel decides that they must leave the warren, so he recruits two of his friends, Dandelion and Blackberry, and Pipkin, a friend of Fiver.

Are the rabbits in Watership Down hares?

They were clearly hares.” “Do the people who did the CGI for Watership Down actually know what rabbits look like. They were hares!

What is the main message of Watership Down?

Home and Belonging. The story of Watership Down is the story of a group of rabbits and their search for their forever home—a place where they will be free from oppression and fear, and able to live as they please in harmony with both nature and with one another.