The Velveteen Rabbit
Williams, Margery. The Velveteen Rabbit. Illustrated by William Nicholson. George H. Doran Company, 1922. 34 pages.
The Velveteen Rabbit written by Margery Williams tells the heart-warming story of love and its impact on the soul. Williams shares the story of a toy rabbit, given to a young boy for Christmas, neglected due to its mundane appearance. Stored away with the other old toys, the rabbit receives advice from the Skin Horse: to become real, the boy must love the toy; however, the boy finds more joy playing with the mechanically advanced toys. One night his grandmother places the rabbit on the bed and he discovers his new best friend. Amongst their journeys and adventures, the rabbit encounters real rabbits outside and is ridiculed by them. As the rabbit’s spirits are low, misfortune strikes again and the boy is diagnosed with scarlet fever. The rabbit is forced out of the life of his best friend due to the chance of infection on its fabric. As the rabbit cries, a fairy appears to make the rabbit real. The velveteen rabbit is no more as the new, real bunny hops away into the forest. The final pages of the book depict the young boy playing outside and discovering a rabbit. The familiar look makes him recall that toy he had once cherished.
The story, written in an unfamiliar mature voice, is often difficult for children to understand. The text by Margery Williams, although beautiful, is seemingly too proper for the intended audience; however, the use of illustrations aids in conveying the message behind the story. The illustrations by Nicholson set a mood corresponding to the text. The use of light and dark colors depicts the feelings of the boy and rabbit by creating an emotional atmosphere. In addition, the perspective of the pictures demonstrate the different points of view throughout the story.
“Once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand”
The story proposes a metaphysical philosophical question: what is real? When read to children, The Velveteen Rabbit may help teach the complexity behind the answer to the question. The Skin Horse, boy, live rabbits, and velveteen rabbit each had a different opinion as to what makes something real. It explores the difference between being real to self as opposed to being real to others. Is one more important or a more reliable source? In addition it touches on epistemology, asking the self to determine what knowledge is and how something can be accepted as truth. The debate over the realness of the rabbit can help young learners understand these two branches of philosophy.
