Regarding the premise that Rabbit, in the Winnie the Pooh stories by A. A. Milne, is the embodiment of evil, I strongly disagree. I have a much different perception of Rabbit, and I will share it here in answer to the points made by James in his essay.

1. IN WHICH Rabbit Lies:

Rabbit is not the only character who is not always truthful. Tigger boasts that he can climb trees, among other things. Owl fools Pooh into believing his writing is an actual word or phrase.

Rabbit likes his privacy. He does not appreciate uninvited visitors popping in to eat his honey and condensed milk. On occasion Rabbit pretends that he is not home, in the hopes that the visitor will go away. When obligated, Rabbit is civil and even somewhat cordial, although he would rather not have the company forced on him.

2. IN WHICH Rabbit Is Prejudiced:

Rabbit initially has a phobia about creatures that are new to the forest. (He is xenophobic). This trait could be considered as prejudice, in that prejudice is an opinion formed without examination of the facts. We might say that Pooh and Piglet are prejudiced about Heffalumps and Woozles.

Like many of us, Rabbit has some misconceptions about new creatures. He truly believes they are a threat. Rabbit goes into a protective mode, and begins to project his phobia onto his friends in an attempt to keep the status quo in the forest. Despite this tendency, Rabbit eventually accepts Kanga, Roo and Tigger, when he gets to know them.

3. IN WHICH Rabbit Is Elitist:

Quite literally, Rabbit's character was not based on a stuffed toy, but on a woodland creature, as was Owl's character. Hence Rabbit's comment to Owl, "you and I have brains. The others have fluff.", is a matter of fact rather than Rabbit's opinion.

Rabbit uses a more rigid logic, which makes him appear superior to the other characters. Rabbit also has that leadership quality, self-confidence, which allows him to take charge of a situation. He realizes that his friends are often lacking in the necessary confidence (and sometimes the brains) to get through some situations, and in his governing mode steps in to take over. If this trait is viewed as elitism, then perhaps we are assigning a negative connotation to that word, where it is not necessarily a negative trait.

Rabbit's desire to spend time with Roo, (who is so good at saying "Yes, Rabbit"), is the same sort of desire Pooh has to spend time with Rabbit, (or anyone else who will offer Pooh some food). We all want to be with those who make us feel comfortable. Rabbit wants to be where he feels someone needs his governing, and Roo accepts Rabbit's governing. This reciprocal acceptance would not indicate an elistist attitude in Rabbit.

4., 5., & 6. IN WHICH Rabbit Shows Criminal Tendencies (kidnapping, brainwashing, attempted murder):

Rabbit is clever. He is able to use rigid logic to plan and scheme. Though kidnapping Roo and holding him hostage may seem malicious under one context, when viewed with the understanding of Rabbit's xenophobia it is merely the non-recognition of Kanga and Roo as valuable beings. Rabbit realizes that Kanga has a liability, Roo. He plans to use that liability to remove the threat and regain security once more in the forest. In the process, however, Rabbit becomes more familiar with Roo ("more fond of him every minute"), and realizes that the newcomers are not a threat. This is a classic example of the way in which education, or enlightenment, can overcome prejudice.

Rabbit is very self-confident, and Eeyore has a severe case of low self-esteem. Rabbit is too busy organizing, and is too matter-of-fact to make time for Eeyore's need to be recognized. Eeyore is angered by Rabbit's refusal to coddle him. Eeyore speaks to Rabbit in a scornful manner, where Rabbit is merely succint when speaking to Eeyore. There is no hostility toward Eeyore in Rabbit's demeanor.

The Eeyore/pooh-stick incident is simply another example of Rabbit's take-charge personality. Rabbit needs to organize and give orders; it is just his way. Pooh is about to drop the "biggest stone he could carry", into the river where Eeyore is turning around and around. Out of concern that Eeyore might get hit, Rabbit takes command to syncronize Pooh's stone- dropping with Eeyore's turning. There are enough other accounts of Rabbit's governing behavior to establish this as fact. There is no evidence to convict Rabbit of attempted murder for organizing the rock throwing idea supplied by Pooh.

Rabbit is offended by Tigger's constant invasion of his own personal space. Rabbit is also aware that Tigger does not respect the personal space of the other characters. Tigger is too unfocused to actually "hear" that the others do not want to be bounced. Eeyore complains about being bounced into the river, so Rabbit and the others mention the problem to Christopher Robin, (who opts to ignore the situation and play Pooh Sticks instead). The other characters once again place Rabbit in the role of "Captain" to think of a way to unbounce Tigger. "If we can make Tigger feel Small and Sad just for five minutes, we shall have done a good deed". Rabbit's lesson is not meant to be harmful, but to humble Tigger and cause him to think about the feelings of others. Although Tigger is not affected by the lesson, we see that "Small and Sorry Rabbit" is very happy to see a "Large and Helpful Tigger". Rabbit bares no malice toward Tigger, but simply dislikes Tigger's "bounciness".

Some Thots

IN WHICH We Ask For A Definition And Comparison:

Evil is a word heavily loaded with emotional connotation, and its usage to describe a person or action requires that we agree that the person or action is morally wrong. Within the context of Milne's stories, I do not believe we have enough evidence of moral wrong doing to condemn Rabbit as evil.

Let us review the faulty traits belonging to some of Milne's other characters.

Pooh gets through life by depending on the goodness of others. He is technically lazy.

Piglet is phobic of anything new, including experiences. Piglet falls easily into prejudice because of his fears.

Eeyore, as mentioned earlier, is mired in negativity and low self-esteem.

Tigger is self-centered, disrespectful, and unfocused.

IN WHICH Jan Makes Her Point:

All of Milne's characters have good and bad attributes, just as the many people we meet, (and are), in our daily lives. There is no need to look for a specific source of "evil", as bad traits exist in each character the way they exist in us. Milne's stories teach us to see the good, despite the bad, and to love these characters because they are so "human". In doing so, we learn to love and accept each other.