This is me pretty much rewriting my brother's @LukaDavid's post.
Morbin is a bird. He eats rabbits to live. He found out a way to capture said rabbits to more easily feed himself and other predators.
Winston Churchill once said, "History is written by the victors." It basically means that if you saw a fight from the losers or "bad guys" perspective, the story is much different. And I know TGE isn't history, but it applies.
Good Ol' Master Smith is obviously biased to the bunnies side. If he was writing from Morbin's view, a much different story would unfold.
Morbin's family might have died of starvation because it was getting harder to hunt rabbits, now that they were more civilized. The slave camps that are awful for bunnies, is an answered prayer for the birds.
So Jupiter and ultimately Smalls can be seen as a villain.
All of you made great points here! I've always kinda thought like this. I've always felt kinda sorry for the "disposable henchmen" in lots of these stories... I'm always like, "That guy probably had a wife and kids! He probably told them bedtime stories and was planning on coming home that night. He was probably forced to fight in this blinkin' war!"
I do believe in black-and-white evil, and moral sides, and all that, but think about it. There are wolf women and children, too. There are eggchicks and women preylords, too. We only see the truly ferocious side of the wolves (because we usually only see them in battle). If the story was told from the wolves' perspective, the rabbits would similarly seem like bloodthirsty little beast with explosions and enchanted capes. We'd never see the softer sides of them.
I wonder what Picket (who has a moral compass) would do if he came across a helpless eagle fledgling.
Also, wolves and eagles are obligate carnivores. They can't just "not eat meat." (Tofu, perhaps?)
Wolves and Preylords are also intelligent, thinking beasts. They have feelings. They have loves. Many of the wolves probably had fiances, wives, children, grandchildren, and all of them had mothers.
War is awful. Whenever a book or movie glosses over a huge battle or whatever, I'm like, "Do you have any idea how many footmen are killing and being killed?" Sometimes I imagine a conversation between two infantry.
A: Hi. Do you have any idea why you're fighting me?
B: No. I think it's something that our lord did to your lord. I think they both like the same girl, or something.
A: Oh. *beat* Does the girl like them?
B: Dunno.
*beat*
B: So, I have a farm at home.
A: Yeah, me too.
B: I wonder how it's doing right now. There's these raider people who like to steal my cows. *beat* And my family. The raider people are also slavers.
A: Same. Hope your family comes out alright.
B: You got kids?
A: Yeah, three. Two girls and a boy.
B: Aw, how old?
A: Oldest is eight.
B: Aww.
*beat*
A: Sorry I'm fighting you.
B: Hey, you didn't have a choice.
A: Yeah, I-
(A gets killed by arrow.)
B: *sighs heavily*
I am not saying I agree with anyone or Mr Morbin for that matter but believe me when I say this.
My place beside you.
My blood for yours.
Till the Green Ember rises,
or the end of the WORLD.
*salutes*
So. Here's my "perspective".
I believe in objective moral standards (right and wrong, truth and lies). Anything other than what is right is wrong. I don't consider the killing of innocent children simply for fun (in Daggler and Vitton's case), or any reason, right. Obviously, (like @Ian G. said) it's hard to apply objective morality to animals but, when you think about it, doing anything else would excuse the blatant evildoers in this series.
Even though the characters in this series are animals, they are also self-aware, independent thinkers, and rely on no primal instinct usual for their species (besides the animosity between the birds and rabbits).
In fact, they have every characteristic that defines intelligent existence:
1. Self-awareness and control (showcased in almost everything they do).
2. Spiritual awareness and the seeking of connection (shown in their religion-like devotion to the Leapers).
3. Intelligence/independent thought/understanding of right and wrong (again, this is showcased on numerous occasions by Picket's righteous fury against the slaughtering of the younglings, Heather's compassion as a healer, etc.)
4. Creative intelligence (seen in the creation of bowstrikers, glider capes, etc.).
(I can't remember all of them, please tell me if I missed some.)
This means that they are not simply animals scavenging for food. Morbin's trying to take over Natalia and, perhaps, eradicate the rabbit populous, all out of pure greed. This includes the sometimes permanent break up of families, the cowardly slaughter and consumption of helpless children, and the destruction of freedom and hope.
@Flynn-the-Gray-Warrior @LukaDavid @Dikko_The_Squolf_ I'm not asking you to change your opinions, you have every right to hold them! In fact, if worse came to worst, I would fight for your freedom to say whatever you want (and we certainly welcome all perspectives on this site!). But this is how I consider the question:
If this situation was changed so that, instead of animals, people were involved, would you condone the slaughter of innocent children based on the idea of perspectivism? (Please answer, if you feel led! I'd love to hear your response! 😁).
The way I see it, the ideas of relativism and perspectivism lead down a slippery slope, one that I'd never even open the door to.
Again, that's just my opinion. Feel free to contradict me! (Sorry if I took that way too seriously. This just happens to be a topic I'm interested in). 😂
Yes this is true.