Human Spirit In Watership Down

Throughout the novel Watership Down by Richard Adam, the power of the human spirit is constantly demonstrated by the actions of the main characters. One such time is when the main characters leave their home warren despite the Threarah, who they are accustomed to listening to and obeying, telling them not to do so. Another time the power of the human spirit is portrayed is when the rabbits cross the merciless heather without turning back. One final example is when the rabbits get Bigwig out of the snare. In Watership Down, a chief theme is that the resiliency of the human spirit prevails over all other physical and emotional barriers.

The first situation in Watership Down, during which the power of the resiliency of the human spirit is demonstrated

In the novel, Hawkbit says, “Hazel… we can’t go on like this. We’ve had enough of it” (Adams 50). The fact that Hawkbit, who served as a representative of himself and several other rabbits, persevered after saying he did not want to keep going and worked his way through the heather is significant. It is made very clear in the novel that the heather itself is extremely treacherous, as shown by the fact that Pipkin injures his paw by stepping on a large thorn. In addition, it is clear that the rabbits want very much to stop plowing their way through the seemingly endless heather and to simply return to the warren. However, the rabbits, especially Hazel, know that it would be extremely dangerous to return to the warren. Because of this, the rabbits travel for several more hours before finally coming to the end of the heather and emerging on the other side. The rabbits are resilient because instead of giving up and going back to the dangerous warren, they work their way through the heather to what they believe is a much safer place than both their warren and the

In the novel, Bigwig himself says, “I’m still alive Fiver…You’ve bitten through a bigger peg than this one I’m dragging” (Adams 117). This demonstrates the rabbits’ resiliency in two ways. First of all, Fiver’s resiliency is evident. Upon hearing Bigwig speak, the small Fiver manages to chew through the peg and emerges to reveal that his own face is covered in blood. This shows that Fiver is so resilient that he is more than willing to get hurt in order to save Bigwig. It also shows that upon feeling that his face is being cut, Fiver keeps chewing the peg, refusing to let up and let Bigwig die. Bigwig’s own resiliency is also shown here. Despite being caught in a snare that would have killed almost any other rabbit, Bigwig not only keeps himself alive, but he stands up and drags the peg onto which is attached the very wires that were cutting into him and reducing him to little more than a bloody pelt. These actions show his resiliency because they show that he is not willing to die as he fights through the pain inflicted onto him by the snare and even manages to walk with it on him in an attempt to remove it from his