Watership Down Government Analysis

Watership Down: Governmental Systems

In the novel Watership Down, there are many types of communities, and with those communities comes a different type of government. All three of these governments vary from each other, in how they are set up and how they are ran. Each of the governments in the novel are run by different rabbits, Hazel, Cowslip, and Woundwort. Adams describes each one of these governments with hints about their leaders and their actions. Throughout this novel, the three types of governments that Adams referred to are: Socialist, Dictatorship, and Democracy. First, the Socialist government can be related back to Cowslip’s warren. In this government everyone is treated equal. No one is greater or less than anyone else. In the warren, there is always plenty of food and it is divided among everyone equally. There are no specific rules
Adams shows this through how Hazel acts as a leader. Hazel does not dictate his warren, nor does he have little power. He is a leader, one who those look up to. Hazel has assigned jobs in the warren to other rabbits according to how well they can fulfill that role. He takes into consideration the ideas and thoughts of others; he listened to Fiver when Fiver had a vision. Once Fiver told him, he acted out on it by instructing the group to what he thought would be most beneficial. This form of government is basically the United States’ government. We are a Democracy, with a chosen leader, and we all work together in a society to help each other grow and prosper. Our leader, the President, must have the characteristics of Hazel: a born leader, knowledge, and open thoughts. This is what makes Hazel’s group prosper and remain stable. This government was the only one that was proven to be successful. Hazel’s group survived because of smart decisions not only from the leader but from others as well. That is why Hazel’s warren grew and