Analysis of Watership Down and How it Relates to Dream Things True
Watership Down is a novel about an adventurous group of rabbits who struggle to survive and thrive in their environment. At the beginning of the book, the rabbits who come together are mostly strangers with only what they want in mind. However, as the story progresses, the rabbits’ loyalty to the group becomes more apparent to the point where they risk their lives for each other. Many qualities, such as loyalty and family, are also evident in the book Dream Things True. Even though the plots of these two novels differ, they still have many aspects and themes that are very similar.
One theme that Watership Down and Dreams Things True share is fear. Throughout Watership Down, the rabbits are always afraid of some predator hunting them. These predators include cats, dogs, birds, and even humans! Fear plays a vital role in the rabbits’ lives; it keeps them alert and always on the watch for signs of danger. The main reason the band of rabbits leaves their warren is that Fiver foresees humans coming and killing them with the White Blindness. White Blindness is the main fear for a rabbit; it is a disease that temporarily blinds and paralyzes rabbits when humans shine a light in their eyes. Fear shows up in Dream Things True as well. At the novel's beginning, Alma and her family are constantly fearful of being sent back to Mexico for being undocumented. This is the same for all the undocumented immigrants in Georgia. Another example of fear in Dream Things True is after Mr. Garcia and Raul are arrested for improper identification. Alma is frightened and does not know how to get them out of jail. Other examples of fear include when Alma finds out Conway has raped her, and Evan knows the only way Alma can stay in the U.S. is if he marries her. Fear plays a vital role in the two books.
Another theme seen in Watership Down and Dream Things True is loyalty. There are many examples of belief in Watership Down. The main reason this theme has been chosen is that throughout the book, the rabbits test their loyalty by staying together. After leaving the warren, any rabbits could turn around and return, but none do. Another example is when the rabbits found a second warren. There are no predators nearby and plenty of food, but it is soon found corrupt. When Hazel, the group leader, decides to leave, the entire group remains loyal and follows him. Scenarios like this happen again and again, and the rabbits continue to stay faithful to the group.
Similarly, loyalty plays a vital role in Dream Things True. A significant instance is Evan’s loyalty to Alma. Evan never ditches Alma when he discovers she is “illegal,” when Alma asks him to bail out Raul and Mr. Garcia, or even when he knows he has to marry Alma for her to stay in the U.S. Mrs. King is an example of a person Alma can be loyal to for advice and help. This is proven when Mrs. King aids Alma in finding an attorney to get her family...
