The Watership Down Connection

[Thrihyrne]

With the recent reappearance of Watership Down in the episode, Left Behind, I thought it appropriate to bring up a theory I have had rolling in the back of my mind for awhile.

For those of you who are uninitiated, the book concerns a group of male rabbits that go on a journey to find a new home where they will be safe from humans. The primary characters of the tale are Bigwig, a strong, impetuous and heroic rabbit, Hazel, the wise, prudent, and courageous leader, and Fiver, who sees visions of the future. Also integral to the story is the character of General Woundwort, the ruthless and massive leader of a dictatorial warren where no one can go free.

The heroes reach a place called Watership Down, a very high hill were they can see enemies coming from every direction. There they dig a new warren and try and start their lives afresh. After some time, Hazel and the other rabbits come to realization that they need does to populate the warren they've dug and some of them head off as a delegation to a warren called Efrafa where there is supposed to be overcrowding. When they reach it, the Efrafans, who are led by the evil Woundwort and his Council, seize them as captives. Eventually they escape and bring Hazel and the others news of the evil endured by the Efrafans at the hands of their vicious leaders.

Thus begins the war between the Efrafans and Downers which bears many similarities to the war between the Others and the Lostaways. Here are some of the similarities.

1. Woundwort is a "great leader" (like Jacob is said to be) who rules through fear and is famed as an indomitable warrior and general. He accomplished the entire destruction of a rival warren in the past (Dharma anyone?) and rules his massive totalitarian society through a Council of evil and loyal characters, very like Isabel.

2. Efrafa, the warren Woundwort runs, divides its rabbits into Marks. Every rabbit must get a mark on his haunches that keeps them organized and manageable. Juliet's branding is very similar.

3. Several does approach the Council with the wish to leave. The leader, Hyzenthlay, is very outspoken, but is rejected and the does are put under watch. Juliet also approached Ben about leaving as was rejected and has subsequently been outcast from the Others.

4. The Efrafans have what are called Long Patrols in which a group of warrior rabbits sweep the surrounding perimeter of the warren to ensure the safety of its inhabitants. Many of the first encounters with the Others have a "long patrol" quality to them as we soon find out that Tom, Klugh, and the Others have gone out of their way to meet the Lostaways head on.

5. Bigwig, who is similar to Jack in his characteristics, is sent on an undercover mission to free does for Watership Down from Efrafa. After winning the approval of Woundwort and the Council through his aggressive reputation as a warrior, he hooks up with Hyzenthlay and her does and makes a break for it. They barely escape which leads to Woundwort's decision to exterminate the Down warren as he did the last one that rivaled his glory. This, of course, parallels Juliet's path as a rebel who finally joins with the Lostaways albeit on very dubious grounds.

6. The Efrafans and Woundwort in particular are driven by a sense that Efrafans are innately better than other rabbits and therefore have the right to run all over them. This coincides with Jacob's list and the treatment of the Lostaways at the hands of the Others.

Other incidents have interesting similarities to the show. During the escape of the Down rabbits from Efrafa, they dart across a train track just before the train passes and cuts off the pursuit. In the book, some of the Down rabbits express a sense of religious awe at the power and light of the "messenger" they saw. Hazel and Fiver in private, however, discuss the possibility of it having only been a big machine not encountered by many rabbits before. The Monster, like the train, is something of a mystery that many of the castaways attribute spiritual qualities to while hinting at a purely mechanical answer.

Which leads me to a final interesting point: If the ending of S3 mirrors the climax of Watership Down then we will see the Others, led perhaps by the Woundwortian Jacob, make a final bid to exterminate the Lostaways who have become a very persistent nuisance. Which begs the question: how will the Others attack? In the book, Woundwort decides that the only way to break the Watership Down warren is to dig straight down through the roof and drop among the rabbits. If the Others were airlifted as Sayid suggested ('no tracks in any direction') from Othersville, than maybe the Lostaways should look to the sky for their enemies approach.

When Hazel is faced with Woundworts attack, he tells everyone to go underground and then unleashes a dog on the attacking Efrafans. If the Lostaways were to go into the caves, or better yet, get on the right side of the Others fence, perhaps Cerberus (a mythical dog) aka The Monster could be led into wiping out the Others for good.

[jiminy]

vers der damn seagull den???

sorry- too much linking- I woudlnt doubt that the book showing up is a nice easter egg..(being the seaon n all)-
but the show (IMHO) is not based on any one thing that closely.

The rabbits of Watership had nothing to reconcile..and the 815ers do , my friend.
Agreed that their enemy was mysterious - perhaps I saw too much Euopeean Politics when I read the book back when (whoich IS a great read btw..a top shelf novel)

But Woundwort had no bones about flexing his power from the get go-
the only comparison I may see there is with Benry-but thats slipping as time goes on.

I dunno- nice thought- and a few interesting parallels- but nothing more (IMHO)

[widmore/hanzo]

great thoughts but the way it seems they copied the entire book but i doubt Lost is that deep