Genre

Fantasy; allegory

Narrator
Omniscient narrator

Point Of View
Primarily Hazel's point of view, but shifts among several of the major characters

Tone
Sorrowfully optimistic, always suggesting that something can be done about the world's evils

Tense
Immediate past

Setting (Time)
The events of the novel take place from May to October in no specific year, but likely around the
time the novel was written; the epilogue takes place several years later

Setting (Place)
Between Berkshire and Hampshire, England

Protagonist
Hazel

Antagonist
Woundwort

Climax
The battle between Bigwig and Woundwort

Falling Action
The dog chases away the Efrafan rabbits

Foreshadowing
At the beginning of each chapter Adams quotes a passage from a famous text that vaguely
indicates what will happen in the chapter

Watership Down is the tale of a group of rabbits in search of a home. Fiver, a small,
young rabbit, has a gift: He can tell when things are going to happen and he can sense
whether they will be good or bad. Fiver foresees great danger to the rabbits' home
warren. His brother Hazel, who is slightly larger and helps take care of Fiver, takes Fiver
to the Chief Rabbit, the Threarah. 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. Bigwig, one of the leading
members of the warren (the Owsla), believes Fiver and wants to go with them. They
decide to try to convince other rabbits to come; Silver, Buckthorn, Hawkbit, Speedwell,
and Acorn all go with them. Hazel is their leader, and he takes advice from Fiver about
where to go.

The rabbits go through several adventures before Hazel successfully brings them to a
field where they believe they can live. But the field is already inhabited by a group of
rabbits, who seem strange but let the travelers stay with them. Fiver warns the rabbits
not to join the new warren, but they do not listen to him because the living is easy and
there is food for everyone. There is something odd about the warren, but they cannot
figure out what it is. Finally, after an argument with Fiver, Bigwig gets caught in a snare.
Hazel and the other rabbits manage to get him out, although they get no help from the
rabbits who live in the warren. Fiver figures it all out, explaining to the group that a
farmer leaves the great food behind for the rabbits in order to fatten them up before he
catches them in his snares. They decide to leave, and one rabbit from the new warren,
Strawberry, comes with them.

The rabbits travel on until they reach Watership Down. At the top there is a perfect field for a
rabbit warren. They settle down in the field, but then Hazel realizes that they need does (female
rabbits) to mate with, as they have only bucks and their warren will not last long without does.
Holly and Bluebell, two survivors from their home warren, find the rabbits and tell them of a
horrible poisoning that occurred. The rabbits befriend a wounded bird, Kehaar, and after he heals
he searches for other warrens so they can get some does.

Kehaar finds a warren a few days away, as well as some rabbits living in the farm next to the
down. The rabbits send an expedition to the warren (Efrafa) to try to bring back some does, and
Hazel sets up a raid to free the rabbits in the farm. The get three of the four rabbits out, although
Hazel is badly injured and thought dead until Fiver goes back and saves him. The expedition
comes back roughed up, describing Efrafa as a horrible warren run by a militaristic warlord,
General Woundwort.

Hazel decides that they must go to Efrafa and get some does, because otherwise they will not
survive. He has Blackberry come up with a plan, and then the group sets off, leaving behind a
few rabbits at the warren. Along with Blackberry, they sneak to a hiding place close to Efrafa, at
which time Bigwig enters the warren, pretending to be a solitary rabbit. He finds a doe,
Hyzenthlay, who helps him set up a plan to escape. With the help of Kehaar and his own strength
and cunning, Bigwig engineers a masterful escape, and the whole groups flees on a boat just as
General Woundwort is about to attack them. However, on the way back to Watership Down, a
patrol from Efrafa bumps into them, and Captain Campion tracks them and finds their warren.
Soon after they return, a mouse whom Hazel had earlier saved brings him news that there is a
large number of rabbits close by. They realize that the Efrafans have brought a large force to
destroy them.

Hazel immediately sets the rabbits to work preparing to defend the warren. They bury
themselves in and prepare to fight off the invaders, even though they know it will likely cost
them their lives. Hazel gets a flash of inspiration and runs off with Dandelion and Blackberry to
try to release the dog from the farmhouse and get him to attack the Efrafan rabbits. Meanwhile,
Bigwig faces Woundwort in a tremendous battle. Woundwort is bigger and stronger than any
other rabbit, but Bigwig defeats him, and soon afterward the dog comes and scatters the Efrafan
forces. A cat catches Hazel, but the girl who lives at the farm saves the rabbit and lets him go.

The rabbits live happily in their warren and Campion returns to run the Efrafan warren. They
decide to build a third warren halfway between the two and fill it with rabbits from each warren.
Hazel lives several years, longer than most rabbits live, and he sees the warren prosper and thrive
before he dies.

Themes

Home
The idea of home resurfaces again and again throughout Watership Down. The rabbits leave their
warren in search of a new home not only because they believe Fiver when he tells them that
something terrible will happen to the warren, but also because they think they can make a better
home somewhere else. Fiver's only dream is for them to reach Watership Down, where he
believes things will be better. But home is not merely the place where the rabbits live. They
reach the down relatively early on, but something is missing. They need does, because home also
means family and community. Home has permanence; it is not some sort of temporary shelter,
which is all it could ever be if it were inhabited solely by bucks.
Moreover, there are several different versions of home in the novel. The rabbits in the warren of
the snares think that they are at home, but their strange and melancholy behavior shows that they
have not truly found a home. A true home is a place where the rabbits can live in harmony with
nature. In this sense, Efrafa is not a true home, because Woundwort attempts to dominate nature.
At the end of the novel, when Hazel looks back at his warren, just after he has left his body, what
he sees is home. He sees many rabbits running and playing and enjoying themselves. Home is a
place in which to take pleasure, not just a place that provides protection or food. Watership
Down provides the aesthetic of home, and once the rabbits find does and create a community, it
actually is a home.
Leadership
Hazel, the protagonist of Watership Down, is also the leader of the rabbits, and his ability to lead
is continually tested by their adventures. Leadership is a subtle quality. Although Bigwig is
stronger and bigger than Hazel, Hazel makes a much better leader because he has the ability to
think for the group. He sees immediately how to utilize each member of the group in order to
best benefit them all. With a good leader, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Hazel
does not let anything interfere with the goals of the warren, and as its leader, he decides what
those goals are. Cowslip seems to be the leader of the warren of the snares, but they cannot really
have a leader because no one can offer them protection from the dangers they face. Woundwort
is clearly the leader of Efrafa, but he rules like a dictator, and his military regime leaves the
majority of his subjects unhappy. Woundwort leads through example only in warfare, and
otherwise his power is maintained through fear and force. Hazel, however, manages to do things
differently. He is a true leader, unafraid to let others come up with ideas, yet himself often
figuring out what should be done. The other rabbits respect Hazel, and after a while their faith in
him is unshakable, simply because he acts swiftly and confidently and keeps the entire group in
mind when he does so.
Nature
Nature plays a very prominent role in the novel. Hazel and his rabbits find the warren of the
snares unnatural, and they would say the same about Efrafa. Living naturally is the goal of these
rabbits, and they cannot comprehend how others could want to live any other way. They want to
be free to roam and eat outside and do the things that rabbits have always done. Of course there
will always be predators, but no protection from a predator is worth the loss of the chance to live
a normal rabbit life. Woundwort wants to make Efrafa invisible, and he destroys the lives of
most of the rabbits there in the process. Fiver acts naturally all the time, never losing sight of
who he is or what he wants. Because of this, Fiver sees the warren of the snares for what it is.

Characters list

Fiver
Hazel's brother. Fiver is small and awkward, but he sees things that no other rabbits see. His
sixth sense saves the rabbits many times, and they learn to always seek his opinion. Fiver offers
advice to Hazel throughout the entire journey, although he always does so in a way that does not
undermine his brother's leadership.

Bigwig
The strongest of the refugees and a courageous and daring fighter. Bigwig's knowledge and
power saves the group many times. Cunning and intelligent, Bigwig savors battle, but knows
when to avoid it.

General Woundwort
The head of the Efrafa warren and the only rabbit bigger and stronger than Bigwig. Militant and
vengeful, Woundwort tries to destroy Hazel's warren and in doing so almost destroys his own.

Captain Campion
Woundwort's best captain. Campion is a great tracker and a courageous rabbit who leads the
Efrafans back to their warren in the end. Brave yet under control, Campion helps set up the new
warren in between the down and Efrafa.

Captain Holly
The captain of the Owsla back at the home warren. Holly is a good tracker and a strong fighter.
He tracks down the rabbits who leave the warren and settles down with them.

Blackberry
The smartest of the rabbits. Blackberry figures out things that most of the other rabbits cannot
even understand. Hazel comes to Blackberry whenever he needs a plan or an idea.

Dandelion
The fastest of the rabbits, who often runs ahead to scout. Dandelion's speed comes in handy
often, and Hazel uses him in some schemes because he knows Dandelion will not get caught.
Dandelion also tells many stories.

Pipkin
The smallest of the rabbits. Pipkin is Fiver's friend and is fiercely loyal to Hazel. Hazel can often
count on Pipkin to follow him without questioning and without hesitating.

Kehaar
The bird whom Hazel tells the rabbits to help. Kehaar becomes a good friend of Bigwig's. He is
strong and knowledgeable and helps the rabbits numerous times, explaining to them about things
they had never seen before.

Strawberry
The only rabbit to leave the warren of the snares. Strawberry is larger than the other rabbits but
he knows little of the wild. Eager to learn and help the others, he designs the Honeycomb and
shares his knowledge of building with them.

Blackavar
A strong rabbit who is good at tracking. Blackavar, who was rescued from the Efrafan warren by
Bigwig, had tried to escape but failed. Bigwig rejuvenates Blackavar and gains his unswerving
loyalty.
Buckthorn
A rabbit brought by Blackberry in the beginning. Buckthorn is strong and large, and along with
Silver and Bigwig he fights often for Hazel's party. Quiet and straightforward, Buckthorn always
helps the warren, but does not often act on his own.

Silver
A rabbit Bigwig convinces to leave the Owsla. Silver adds experience, size, and strength in
addition to his ability to act quickly and get a handle on a situation. Hazel can count on Silver
both to fight well and to make the best decision for the group's welfare.

Cowslip
The leader of the rabbits at the warren of the snares. Cowslip shocks Hazel and Blackberry by
laughing at them. He lives his life pretending that rabbits are not dying all around him, and he is
almost killed by Holly.

Bluebell
Holly's faithful friend who uses humor to lighten up situations. Bluebell traveled with Holly to
find Hazel's rabbits. Bluebell tells stories almost as well as Dandelion.

Clover
The first doe to bear a litter in the new warren. Clover is one of the hutch rabbits that Hazel
decides to set free from the barn. She adjusts to the wild life better than any of the others, and she
mates with Speedwell.

Hyzenthlay
An Efrafan doe. Hyzenthlay is intelligent and caring and she helps Bigwig free the other does.
She can sometimes see special things like Fiver can, and she mates with Holly and bears the
second litter in the new warren.

Threarah
The Chief Rabbit in the old home warren who listened to Fiver's warnings but did not do
anything about them. Threarah's decision was prudent—as moving a warren is often worse than
staying put—but in this case he was wrong.

Hawkbit
A rabbit brought by Dandelion. Hawkbit at one point early on questions Hazel's authority. After
that, however, he follows orders and helps the group as best as he can.
Acorn
A rabbit Blackberry convinced to leave. Acorn is not very happy with the trip until he begins to
gain faith in Hazel and the other rabbits. Although Acorn is not very large or strong, he does his
best to help the warren in any way he can.

Speedwell
Along with Buckthorn and Acorn, the third rabbit Blackberry brings with him. Speedwell, like
Acorn, gains faith in the group as events unfold. He mates with Clover to give the warren its first
litter.

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.

Rabscuttle
El-ahrairah's faithful friend. Rabscuttle gets in and out of trouble with the prince of rabbits and
often plays a key role in his adventures.

Symbols

the Rabbit Warren

The different rabbit warrens in the novel can be seen as different versions of human government.
The warren of the snares could be considered socialist, as all the rabbits there are equal and no
one has anything more than anyone else. The Efrafan warren represents a totalitarian regime, as
Woundwort and a handful of others rule with an iron fist while all the rest are trod upon and
abused. Hazel's warren represents a democracy, as it has a leader whom everyone wants making
decisions based upon the will of the group. This symbolism clearly carries with it some degree of
value judgment, as the first two regimes clearly fail while the third is a smashing success. Adams
suggests that democracy—or at least some form of government in which the leader is chosen by
the people and acts according to the will of the people—is the best way to organize society.