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Essay / Bigwig's Bravery in Watership Down by Richard Adams
In life, people will face many challenges. Among these challenges, many people will shrink from the challenge and a few will rise up not only to meet the challenge but also to conquer the task at hand. In the novel Watership Down by Richard Adams, this person or rabbit in this case is Bigwig. Bigwig is a rabbit who stands out in the novel not only for his size, but also for his courage and generosity. He is part of Hazel's group of rabbits and although he doesn't have the brains that others have, he is one of the alphas of the pack. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the history of Watership Down, there are many wars between different tribes of rabbits. Within Hazel's tribe, Bigwig is their special warrior who is a force that cannot be stopped. Hazel tries to avoid war with the other tribes at all costs, but in the end it doesn't always work. As it says in the story, without Bigwig, Hazel and her tribe would have been taken over and destroyed. Although Bigwig has the courage and strength to face anyone who challenges his tribe, he also has the knowledge to listen to Fiver stand down if necessary, as in the novel he says, "My leader Rabbit told me to stay and to defend this race. and until he says otherwise, I will stay here. This quote shows that Bigwig is able to retreat and be smart in some battles. The only thing that bothers Bigwig is his own heart and generosity. Within this giant monster, there is an obvious Achilles heel, its heart. In all war battles, Bigwig does things that are not necessary or safe for him, but does them out of generosity/sorrow. While Bigwig is already considered a suspicious person by Woundwort, he manages to enter the Efrafa and free a good number of does. Bigwig could have easily escaped from that warren without any questions, but in the end, the kindness in his heart takes over, almost getting him killed, having to convince Woundwort that he is still loyal to the warren. Bigwig is in the Efrafa warren for much of the novel, risking his life, and it didn't end with many of the does being freed. He meets Blackavar and hears his story about how long he was held in the Efrafa Warren as well as how he was treated. Bigwig hearing how harshly Blackavar was treated, he instantly knows that he cannot leave this warren without Blackavar, even though he is already under Woundwort's close watch. This is just an example of another pointless task Bigwig does outside of the weak spot in his big heart. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In the end, Bigwig made an impact and saved many lives as he faces the mightiest of them all in Woundwort. Although Bigwig doesn't have the size or intelligence to defeat Woundwort, he has the heart. The battle is for the whole warren and Bigwig is fighting to persevere. Ultimately, Hazel's tribe relies on Bigwig for battles between the different warrens and for their own lives, while other rabbits adapt to different pieces of the puzzle. Overall, without Fiver's brains and Bigwig's sheer strength, Hazel's tribe would have fallen apart..