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Metaphor
Explanation and Analysis—Class Hierarchy:
In the following example of metaphor from Chapter 12, the narrator describes Hazel's initial impression of Cowslip:
It gave Hazel an impression of good feeding, of health and of a certain indolence, as though the other came from some rich, prosperous country where he himself had never been. He had the air of an aristocrat and as he turned to gaze at Blackberry from his great brown eyes, Hazel began to see himself as a ragged wanderer, leader of a gang of vagabonds. He had not meant to be the first to speak, but something in the other's silence compelled him.
Cowslip is likened to an aristocrat, while Hazel and his fellow rabbit escapees are a gang of "vagabonds." Class hierarchy in rabbit society directly correlates with access to the best food—the kind that would make a rabbit's coat glossy and its muscles strong. The narrator here implies that Cowslip is well-fed, which is strange, because he does not appear to be a Chief Rabbit. Cowslip's behavior is not that of a leader, at least not the leaders Hazel's group are used to. Cowslip is neither assertive nor aggressive; he does not come accompanied by guards or other rabbits. The aristocratic appearance, paired with the docile personality, appears at first a strange mismatch.
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