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Foreshadowing
Genre
Explanation and Analysis:
Though not written in verse like many famous epics, Watership Down is an epic akin to The Iliad or The Odyssey—characterized by a long, arduous, possibly dangerous journey undertaken by characters who are forced to leave home, only to end up back home by the end of the story. The Lord of the Rings trilogy bears much similarity to Watership Down, featuring unwitting protagonists thrust into an unfamiliar situation who are forced to assume responsibility/leadership.
It is worth noting the prominence of stories like Watership Down and Lord of the Rings in relation to discourse around war in human societies. Tales like Lord of the Rings were, in large part, expressions of ennui and terror at the odyssey young men must make on and off the battlefield. Both World Wars prompted such a reinterpretation of the classic quest or odyssey narrative. In these narratives, the characters are often unwitting participants in their own quest, pulled from a comfortable home and forced to endure strange and challenging circumstances. Compare this type of protagonist to an Odysseus or Achilles—or even Sir Gawain, from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Older protagonists in epic narratives often take on their trials as a point of honor, looking to prove themselves as warriors and heroes. Not so in Lord of the Rings or Watership Down.
