How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
During the afternoon he [Bigwig] had been up and down the runs and crowded burrows with Chervil and Avens, the other Mark officer, and had thought to himself that never in his life had he seen such a cheerless, dispirited lot of rabbits. (35.2)
This is a pretty long sentence for this book, but notice how it ends with a really strong statement: the rabbits aren't just sad, they are "cheerless." And also "dispirited." Think about those words: these rabbits aren't just bummed out, they are without cheer and without spirit. That's the cost of not having freedom.
Quote #8
"Oh, Thlayli! Shall we mate with whom we choose and dig our own burrows and bear our litters alive?"
"You shall: and tell stories in the Honeycomb and silflay whenever you feel like it. It's a fine life, I promise you." (35.147-8)
Both Hazel and Bigwig tell female rabbits all about what it's like to be free. Hazel tempts the rabbits at Nuthanger Farm, while Bigwig tells Hyzenthlay how great it is to be free. What's crazy about the list of freedoms these two discuss is how basic they are: the freedom to choose your mate, to dig burrows, to have kids, to tell stories, to go outside—these are the basic, natural freedoms of rabbits. It'd be like promising the freedom to high-five or eat ice cream or do a jig when you get a red gumball instead of a gross green one.
Quote #9
"Only hutch does," replied Hazel. "I dare say they're fairly tough and fast by now, but all the same they'll never be quite like our own kind. Clover, for instance—she'd never go far from the hole on silflay, because she knew she couldn't run as fast as we can. But these Efrafan does, you see—they've been kept in by sentries all their lives. Yet now there aren't any, they wander about quite happily. Look at those two, right away under the bank there. They feel they can—Oh, great Frith!"
As he spoke a tawny shape, dog-like, sprang out of the overhanging nut bushes as silently as light from behind a cloud. It landed between the two does, grabbed one by the neck and dragged her up the bank in a flash. (40.48-9)
But before we start to pat ourselves on the back for being wild and free rabbits (we are all wild and free rabbits, right?), let's look at how Hazel's rabbits are doing. In the middle of Hazel talking about how the Efrafan does will fit right in with his rabbits, a fox jumps out and grabs one who isn't being careful enough. That's comedy gold (or just bad luck). Now that they're free rabbits, they're going to start facing the problems of free rabbits. Maybe it's time to establish a Department of Homeland Security.