Watership Down | Techniques

Watership Down Techniques/Literary Precedents

The success of Watership Down results from several stylistic features.

The first is Adams's attention to the landscape of the novel. By providing a detailed map of the land around Nuthanger Farm and frequent descriptions of the countryside and climate, Adams creates a tactile, three dimensional setting so convincing that eavesdropping on the conversation or thoughts of rabbits seems natural.

Another technique is the use of epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. These epigraphs demonstrate Adams's wide reading: They are drawn from the Bible, classical literature, English poetry, science, and folklore.

These epigraphs serve the narrative function of hinting to the reader which direction the action will take. They also serve the thematic function of suggesting the seriousness of the action: If passages from Shakespeare, Blake, and Saint Paul illuminate the tale, then this rabbit story is more than an idle fiction. The...
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