Review of 'The Velveteen Rabbit' by Margery Williams

Who would have thought that such an innocent fairytale would hold such profound meaning? I had never heard about this rabbit until recently, and I decided to spend some time reading it. There is, of course, a 24-minute YouTube audiobook that is worth listening to. Speaking of its worth, this story strikes many chords simultaneously. The author, Margery Williams (also known as Margery Williams Bianco), explores various interesting subjects. I am not sure if a child would be capable of unlocking the hidden wisdom here.

The book deals with the subjects of love, authenticity, self-doubt, self-importance, resilience, and the process of becoming human—becoming a real person. What does it mean to be real, after all? When the rabbit asks the only friendly face around, the Skin Horse, how one becomes real and whether it's a process or an instant moment, the horse's answer is:

'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.'

This entire little story is a full-blown metaphor, and the author sheds light on the struggles one needs to overcome before becoming real. Reality is explained in sweet childish language as a form of suffering, and one becomes more real by experiencing life and going through it. The lessons of life and living are what make this reality meaningful; without a broken heart, one will never truly know if they have loved. By contrasting different feelings, you can only recognize and appreciate each one through experience. There is wisdom in pain, as well as suffering in love, yet they are considered one bad and the other good. Every emotion has its sides, and it is up to us to discover them.

'That night, and for many nights after, the Velveteen Rabbit slept in the Boy's bed. At first, he found it rather uncomfortable, for the Boy hugged him very tight, and sometimes he rolled over on him, and sometimes he pushed him so far under the pillow that the Rabbit could scarcely breathe. And he missed, too, those long moonlight hours in the nursery when all the house was silent, and his talks with the Skin Horse. But very soon he grew to like it, for the Boy used to talk to him and made nice tunnels for him under the bedclothes that he said were like the burrows the real rabbits lived in. And they had splendid games together, in whispers, when Nana had gone away to her supper and left the night-light burning on the mantelpiece. And when the Boy dropped off to sleep, the Rabbit would snuggle down close under his little warm chin and dream, with the Boy's hands clasped close around him all night long.'

Another great metaphor I took from the book is how the boy deals with his childhood and eventual maturing. The Velveteen Rabbit represents emotions and sometimes plain imagination that the boy utilizes daily. Do you remember how we played before, and our imagination was our main supporter? We used it daily, and we often held onto it tightly, making it hard to let go. Eventually, we had to, and that struggle is depicted as the boy wrestles with the rabbit in his bed.

How about when the rabbit meets the real ones, and after thinking for so long that he is real, meeting them gives him self-doubt. We all have had those struggles with competing and readjusting in similar environments. And it takes a lot of time to stop proving ourselves to others and just own who we are. It's a process, just like the horse said, and it doesn't happen all at once. You can dissect this story as you wish; it is a piece of art, after all. But this tale got me thinking, and I appreciate every moment I spend doing so.

Iliya Badev