How is tension built up in chapter one of Watership Down? CAND 5

CANDIDATE 5

How is tension built up in chapter one of Watership Down?

 

Chapter one begins with the short sentence ‘the primroses are over’, this tells us that whatever good things that they had before have now suddenly come to an end. So straight away Adams makes the reader uneasy and creates tension in the fact we don’t know what is going to happen to the rabbits in the future. Adams describes the warren as ‘old’ and ‘brambly’, this presents the warren as a used and worn. The use of the word ‘brambly’ could also be connected to pain and negativity; this could make the reader think the rabbits will come into some sort of danger.

Even though the warren may seem old and worn the rabbits at this stage in the book aren’t aware of any danger and are living in peace; the description of a blackbird singing undisturbed in evidence of the rabbits not being aware of any danger or evil.

 

When Adams describes the two rabbits, Hazel and Fiver, he says Hazel stopped in a sunny patch. This suggests that he is a positive rabbit. After describing Hazel as a happy rabbit he goes on to Fiver who is a more cautious and agitated. The order in which he describes the rabbits suggests that things will go from good to bad for the warren. Fiver always thinks there is danger and evil in every situation, this causes the reader to feel tense and on edge as well.

 

Moreover, there is also a build of tension when Fiver finds a cowslip in the brook. Two larger rabbits from the Owsla threaten Fiver and Hazel and demand them not to eat their cowslip. This tells us that there is conflict and threat of pain within their own society; this makes the reader tense because Fiver is afraid in his own warren when he should feel safe.

 

Fiver’s fear of danger builds up tension in the reader; he tells Hazel that they must leave the warren because danger is coming. He doesn’t know what danger is it or when it’s coming, this makes the rabbits fear the danger more because they don’t know what to expect. They are afraid of the unknown.