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Owsla
The Efrafan rabbits are assigned sectors of the warren and schedules for eating and sleeping based on Marks they are branded with by being bitten at birth on different parts of their bodies.
Mark Quotes in Watership Down
The Watership Down quotes below are all either spoken by Mark or refer to Mark. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 34
Quotes
As the warren grew, so Woundwort developed his system to keep it under control. Crowds of rabbits feeding at morning and evening were likely to attract attention. He devised the Marks, each controlled by its own officers and sentries, with feeding times changed regularly to give all a share of early morning and sunset—the favorite hours for silflay. All signs of rabbit life were concealed as closely as possible. The Owsla had privileges in regard to feeding, mating and freedom of movement. Any failure of duty on their part was liable to be punished by demotion and loss of privileges. For ordinary rabbits, the punishments were more severe.
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Chapter 43
Quotes
When the punt floated down the river in the rain, part of General Woundwort’s authority went with it. He could not have appeared more openly and completely at a loss if Hazel and his companions had flown away over the trees. […] They had suddenly shown their own cunning greater than his, and left him bewildered on the bank. He had overheard the very word—tharn— spoken by one of his officers to another as they returned to Efrafa through the rain. Thlayli, Blackavar and the does of the Near Hind [Mark] had vanished. He had tried to stop them and he had conspicuously failed.
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Mark Term Timeline in Watership Down
The timeline below shows where the term Mark appears in Watership Down. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 27: “You Can’t Imagine It Unless You’ve Been There”
Three large rabbits approached and asked to see the group’s “marks.” When Holly expressed confusion, the rabbits asked if they were from Efrafa. Holly replied that...
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...be above ground at one time, and the Efrafans keep track of their rabbits by marking them at birth with a deep bite on various parts of their body.
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...the Chief Rabbit, General Woundwort, has under him several captains, each in charge of a Mark and several officers of their own. Efrafan rabbits must bury their hraka and often go...
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Chapter 34: General Woundwort
...is falling on Efrafa, and General Woundwort comes above ground to watch the Near Hind Mark at silflay. One of the Mark officers, Captain Chervil, subserviently greets the General—a “singular rabbit”...
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...warren, and many were forced to work around the clock digging burrows. Woundwort developed the Mark system to control the other rabbits and devised severe punishment for any who stepped out...
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...he wants to replace some Council members by drawing on the best sentries from each Mark. Chervil is about to introduce Woundwort to some when Campion approaches to inform Woundwort that...
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Chapter 35: Groping
...generally. They tell him of Efrafa’s recent difficulties, including the four runaways from Right Flank Mark. They warn him that if the General finds any hraka in the fields, he’ll punish...
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As Bigwig prepares to take his Mark up for evening silflay, he looks forward to being in the open air. He wonders...
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...to mate with a doe, he can have his pick of any doe in the Mark—they’re “not officers for nothing.”
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...who asked to leave, and now she and her friends have been separated into different Marks and placed under increased surveillance.
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Chapter 36: Approaching Thunder
...time for evening silflay, Bigwig steels himself and heads out with the rest of the Mark. As he returns to the field he sees Kehaar flying across the grass but is...
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Chapter 40: The Way Back
...dash for cover, and lament that the Efrafan does’ instincts, weakened by life in the Mark rotation, are not able to save them in times of danger.
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Chapter 47: The Sky Suspended
...and offers him the chance to come back to Efrafa and take command of any Mark he wants. Bigwig curses Woundwort, realizing that the cunning General is trying to lure him...
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Epilogue
...Watership Down and Efrafa flourishes, too, and Groundsel is the first Chief. He does not Mark any rabbits or order Wide Patrols. Campion and Avens even deliver some Efrafan rabbits to...
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