How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
When several creatures—men or animals—have worked together to overcome something offering resistance and have at last succeeded, there follows often a pause—as though they felt the propriety of paying respect to the adversary who has put up so good a fight. The great tree falls, splitting, cracking, rushing down in leaves to the final, shuddering blow along the ground. Then the foresters are silent, and do not at once sit down. After hours, the deep snowdrift has been cleared and the lorry is ready to take the men home out of the cold. But they stand a while, leaning on their spades and only nodding unsmilingly as the car-drivers go through, waving their thanks. The cunning hutch door had become nothing but a piece of wire netting, tacked to a frame made from four strips of half-by-half; and the rabbits sat on the planks, sniffing and nosing it without talking. (25.78)
Here's another example of humans and rabbits being directly compared to each other. The narrator doesn't even hide that comparison, but emphasizes it by setting it within those em-dashes ("—men or animals—"). But then, one difference is in what they're fighting: men fight trees and snow (nature), while rabbits fight the cage (human technology). (Not to be confused with rabbits fighting in a cage, WWE-style, which might warrant a call to PETA.)
Quote #8
"He spoke very well about the decency and comradeship natural to animals. 'Animals don't behave like men,' he said. 'If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.'" (27.42)
This is Holly reporting to the warren what Strawberry said to Woundwort. Usually a speech like this would end with a reference to "humanity" (and someone standing on a chair or table to address the whole room.) But here, Strawberry is directly pointing out that "humanity" is a terrible thing if you're an animal. And here's some extra bonus irony: Strawberry is saying that animals act naturally, but he's talking to Woundwort, one of the least natural rabbits out there.
Quote #9
However, they are not romantic and it came naturally to Hazel and Holly to consider the two Nuthanger does simply as breeding stock for the warren. (28.56)
So "it came naturally" for the rabbits just to think about female rabbits in terms of getting babies out of them. This is some messed-up medieval-sounding stuff, as if we mixed Watership Down with A Game of Thrones. How do you feel about this reduction of does to breeding stock? Is it misogynistic or just plain lapine? Does this stay constant throughout the book? After all, Bigwig may start out thinking about does as "breeding stock," but then he starts to appreciate Hyzenthlay as "a strong, sensible friend who would think on her own account and help to bear his burden" (35.119). Ah, so maybe what's "natural" can change over time.