And the thing is, all you have to do is look at rats and mice and ferrets for like five minutes to see that (a) individual animals are super different, personality wise (just like people and dogs and cats),[ETA: and only singled out mice and rats and ferrets because we're talking about Redwall: basically I think there's difference among all creatures] and (b) clearly capable of cross-species friendships, points that fundamentally refute that species essentialism.
I could more or less forgive species essentialism if the protagonists were all a single species of prey animal and that animal's predators were enemies--though even then, there are times when a predator can choose not to eat a prey animal--but with Redwall, not only are some "good" animals omnivorous, they even eat other "good" animals. I'm thinking of badgers, which eat small mammals and are an especial threat to hedgehogs. This seems like a problem for your setup, Mr. Jacques!
no subject
And the thing is, all you have to do is look at rats and mice and ferrets for like five minutes to see that (a) individual animals are super different, personality wise (just like people and dogs and cats),[ETA: and only singled out mice and rats and ferrets because we're talking about Redwall: basically I think there's difference among all creatures] and (b) clearly capable of cross-species friendships, points that fundamentally refute that species essentialism.
I could more or less forgive species essentialism if the protagonists were all a single species of prey animal and that animal's predators were enemies--though even then, there are times when a predator can choose not to eat a prey animal--but with Redwall, not only are some "good" animals omnivorous, they even eat other "good" animals. I'm thinking of badgers, which eat small mammals and are an especial threat to hedgehogs. This seems like a problem for your setup, Mr. Jacques!