Not Your Typical Superhero Story
Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Cat Woman; when you hear the word hero or heroine that is who you think of. The most famous heroes of all time, as well as the not so famous heroes such as Hazel, fit the archetype of a hero; they are all courageous, resourceful, and strong-willed. Most people don’t notice that almost all action/adventure movies and novels are the same. All of their stories fit the archetypal pattern of a heroic quest. A heroic quest consists of twelve steps that the hero completes throughout his or her journey. In this essay, I will be explaining the parallels between Watership Down by Richard Adams and the archetypal pattern of a heroic quest; as well as the parallels between
Later on the rabbits come across an injured bird named Kehaar, who heals and becomes a very valuable asset to the rabbits’ journey. Kehaar flies ahead to seek out danger and helps to plot the attack against General Woundwort.
The Approach; the hero and his or her allies prepare for a major challenge in the Special World. Hazel and the others prepare to for their expedition to the Efrafa warren to try to bring back does. While there, Hazel sets up a raid to free the rabbits from the nearby farm. Kehaar plays a large role in this by scoping out the area and helping them know the road ahead.
The Ordeal; the hero confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life. When Hazel sets off to raid the farm and free the rabbits, he becomes very badly injured. He is shot by a farmer and is thought to be dead until Fiver goes back to save him. The expedition sent to Efrafa comes back banged up describing it as a horrible warren run by a militaristic commander, General Woundwort.
The Reward; the hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be a celebration, but the danger of losing the treasure could prevent a celebration from happening. The group comes up with a plan to capture does from Efrafa. Bigwig goes into the warren pretending to be a solitary rabbit. He finds a doe, who helps him plan an escape. The rabbits escape on a boat as Woundwort was about to attack.
The Road Back; the hero is