Making Sense of The Rabbits


It is now time to begin reading the graphic novel, The Rabbits, by Shaun Tan and John Marsden.

As you already know from previous instruction, it is important to reassess and self-assess your understanding of what you are reading.

The following exercise will allow you to do just that. As you read through the graphic novel, you will get a sense of the original inhabitants who were on the land, and you will get a sense of the rabbits that come into the picture. There is a progression in the novel and even though the narrator does not seem to be making any evaluative statements about what is happening, you do get a sense of potential conflicts. At each stage of the novel, there seem to be incidents that raise the tension to create either sympathy or antagonism in the reader.

When you see this progression, you will catalogue the where (setting), the who (character), the what, and the emotions (tone) that are displayed that contribute to setting and character.

Complete one of the organizers as you read the novel. These charts are not for marks, but completing them carefully will deepen your understanding of the novel.

Tip: Be sure to review the Strategies for Studying Illustrations and Kade's Guide to Graphic Novels before you begin reading the novel.

As you read through the graphic novel of The Rabbits, reflect on the following questions:

  • Why would the author use the concept of rabbits?
  • The opening panel of the novel sets the tone of the work. How would you describe the tone?
  • One statement reads: "The old people warned us: They won't understand the right ways: they only know their own country!" What might the old people have meant by this statement?
  • What was the attitude of the original inhabitants towards the rabbits when the rabbits began arriving?
  • What was the attitude of the rabbits towards the country and its occupants?
  • The rabbits spread across the country and nothing was seemingly able to stop them. We can begin to see that there might be trouble brewing and this is really the end of the first part. What could have been done at this point?
  • There were new foods and other animals. The rabbits' life-style was different, and this difference began to overwhelm the original inhabitants.
  • How might the original occupants feel about this?
  • How might the rabbits feel about the interaction with the original occupants?
  • Whose country is it, anyway?