Daqian Zuo's Reviews > The Rabbits' Wedding
The Rabbits' Wedding
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I have just finished reading this book called "The Rabbits' Wedding". The author is Garth Williams, and the book was published on April, 30th, 1958. The publication date is interesting here considering the social context, where people views about intermarrige were so different from those nowadays. I did not find any particular award that this book won. Instead, I found many interesting discussions about races refering to this book.
The story is just about how a black rabbit gradually overcame the physical and psychological difficulties and then told the white rabbit how much he wants to stay by her side. The book ended with a scene of their wedding, where they dance together under the moon shine with other fellows in the forest. Everything seems to be peaceful and happy, and they live happy ever after.
However, what makes this book the center of controversy was this book was regarded as the implication of races. The black rabbit was regarded as the symbol of African Americans, while the white rabbit was regarded as European American at that time. Remeber the time that this book was published was 1958, when segregation still exsists although situation was a lot better than that in 1930s. People are still very conservative about this interacial relationship reflected by these two rabbits with different colors. In fact, this book was banned because the White Citizens Council of Montgomery, Alabama, claims that this book promotes interratial marrige. With people's changing view about interatical marrige, as well as the explanations made by Garth, this book was finally accepted by the public.
Garth was surprised by how people interpreting his work. He said that he never ever thought this as a implication of interacial relationship. What inspired him to make these two rabbits black and white is because he thinks this contribute to the illustration of the book. To react to the public's doubts and critism, Garth even told them that the insprition came from a early Chinese paintings of black and white horses in misty landscapes. As a Chinese, I totally understand that because the traditional Chinese painting only uses black ink. However, great Chinese artists depicts mountain, rivers, and these animals by leaving blank inbetween different lines, and the painting finally looks so lively and real. From this point of view, I totally understand Garth point, and I think he was very unlucky that this book was interpreted as the challenge to the interacial marrige.
The story is just about how a black rabbit gradually overcame the physical and psychological difficulties and then told the white rabbit how much he wants to stay by her side. The book ended with a scene of their wedding, where they dance together under the moon shine with other fellows in the forest. Everything seems to be peaceful and happy, and they live happy ever after.
However, what makes this book the center of controversy was this book was regarded as the implication of races. The black rabbit was regarded as the symbol of African Americans, while the white rabbit was regarded as European American at that time. Remeber the time that this book was published was 1958, when segregation still exsists although situation was a lot better than that in 1930s. People are still very conservative about this interacial relationship reflected by these two rabbits with different colors. In fact, this book was banned because the White Citizens Council of Montgomery, Alabama, claims that this book promotes interratial marrige. With people's changing view about interatical marrige, as well as the explanations made by Garth, this book was finally accepted by the public.
Garth was surprised by how people interpreting his work. He said that he never ever thought this as a implication of interacial relationship. What inspired him to make these two rabbits black and white is because he thinks this contribute to the illustration of the book. To react to the public's doubts and critism, Garth even told them that the insprition came from a early Chinese paintings of black and white horses in misty landscapes. As a Chinese, I totally understand that because the traditional Chinese painting only uses black ink. However, great Chinese artists depicts mountain, rivers, and these animals by leaving blank inbetween different lines, and the painting finally looks so lively and real. From this point of view, I totally understand Garth point, and I think he was very unlucky that this book was interpreted as the challenge to the interacial marrige.
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