The Rogue Crew - Tumblr Posts
Jum: How are you all doing?
Posy: I'm.. breathing
Jum: setting the bar pretty low..
Posy: It's more than Uggo
Uggo, having a panic attack: fuck you
The only one I haven’t read <3
A Photo For Every Book I Read This Year: The Rogue Crew by Brian Jacques
The Redwall Universe through Redwall and The Rogue Crew
Hi friends! I'm graduating highschool in two days (TWO DAYS!! ISN'T THAT CRAZY!!), and as a final project during my senior year, I did a literary analysis of the Redwall series! My final essay studies the themes in the Redwall universe as observed through the lens of the first and last (published) book, as well as through my own knowledge, and also examines the differences therein. I wanted to give insight into the series while explaining the background of all my points just a little bit :).
To start the project, I reread Redwall (well, most of it, but then life got busy. No matter, though, I've read it countless times before.) Going into this year, I had finished twenty-one of the twenty-two Redwall books. So, as part of the material for my project, I read The Rogue Crew for the first time! You guys should see my annotations in the book. There are at least four notes on each page, it's insane but also so rich and lovely. I also focused some of my studies on the I-Am That Is poem as its own unit, seeing as it's one of the most famous poems in the series, and I came up with some really fascinating notes.
I'll add a photo of my notes to my blog after this post because I just find them so interesting and I hadn't thought of a lot of the things I wrote beforehand. That's something about this project- diving into the books like this and writing my own thoughts about them has helped me understand them so much more deeply. I'm very grateful and excited that I finished this project and created what I have. Anyway, I'll get back to business.
I can officially say that it took me about a decade to read all the Redwall books and that I finished them by the time I was eighteen. I'm sure that no one is surprised I chose to do this project while completing senior year, these books mean so much to me and I want to bring them into my future with me. Here it is: The Redwall Universe through Redwall and The Rogue Crew. To read my work, scroll on through the break!
(P.S., There's more rambling after the essay. I can't resist talking about my creations and my love and all the other stuff I wrote this semester. See ya!)
I have been loving the Redwall series by Brian Jacques for over a decade; the books have always drawn me in with their world-building and depth. Redwall, written in 1986, starts the series in a revered sandstone abbey, the center of this world. After another twenty books, The Rogue Crew continues to expand the land of Mossflower and the surrounding country. As the very first and last books in the series, they are glimpses into the vast and complex universe of woodlanders created by Jacques. A universe that started in the real world, and grew to be full of adventure, joy, and tragedy- grew to be full of culture, history, and community- a universe that always invites its readers in.
The Redwall world was based on Jacques’ own backyard, and continues to be influenced by our reality. The series was originally written for children, the author wanted to use his stories to guide them growing up. Therefore, his books reference the reality that those children lived in. He has stated that the Abbey was inspired by the ruins of a church he visited as a child and that his experiences with poverty and food insecurity influenced the description of bountiful feasts in his books. He used his writing to illustrate beautiful woodland, grassland, and seaside settings for readers to experience. Additionally, descriptions of human churches and horse-and-buggies were included in Redwall, but scrapped for the rest of the series. Even though those ideas were discarded, Brian Jacques continued Redwall’s connection to humanity through an emphasis on the natural world, a connection to his audience, and the lessons he wanted to teach.
Although it is a series written for children, Redwall is often very heavy. Jacques’ desire to teach about morality through his stories meant that the battles in Redwall are battles between “good” and “evil.” The antagonist is always defeated when goodbeasts triumph in the end, but still, so many innocent characters die. Heroes and villains alike are killed without warning, shocking their comrades and readers of the series. As part of his lessons on morals, Jacques writes with the idea that “good” characters belong to some species and “bad” ones belong to others. This helps him effectuate his lessons on morals. Although this is a theme that the author only strays from when he wants to convey growth or individuality, his characters often hold different opinions regarding ethics. The Abbot in Redwall accepts villains because he believes it is right to lead with trust and love. Sometimes he is right, and sometimes he is gravely mistaken. The Rogue Crew, though, leads encounters with violence in all cases to protect themselves and everybeast on the High North Coast. In the Redwall books, some characters will always be a threat to peaceful life, and some will always be good and kind to all.
Equally as often as the books are tragic, though, they are daring and joyful. Each book is split into three (or four, in the case of The Sable Quean) subsections, the first of which is the discovery of a quest, the second the adventure itself, and the last the final battle. Of the adventures, the most famous is in Redwall, when Matthias follows a riddle left for him by Martin the Warrior to unearth the dead hero’s iconic sword and shield. As the books progress, more groups travel farther through Mossflower and the story delves deeper into its history. Villains arrive from overseas and heroes come from Salamandastron and even farther in all directions, traveling through the beautiful and unpredictable world. New and unique settings are discovered, new alliances are made, and goodbeasts explore all of Mossflower country and the land beyond. Characters quest, guided by their ancestors and comrades, to learn about the world and enjoy its bounty.
The most important value in the Redwall world, the one that Brian Jacques and all his readers emphasize, is community. Mossflower is steeped in community, culture, history, and tradition. Redwall Abbey is ancient and universally known as a sanctuary to those of good heart. Its Abbeybeasts support each other and provide for all of Mossflower with feasts, celebrations, a well-run abbey, and sturdy sandstone walls. They love and guide each other, but as a culture, they look to Martin the Warrior. Martin helped create the Abbey and is tied to it intrinsically. The goodbeasts within trust his guidance and protection, as he is the image of their home. His spirit appears to Redwallers in dreams and with riddles, but he also appears to would-be enemies, terrifying them into abandoning their prospects of riches and conquered lands. As much as Martin protects the woodland community, Abbeybeasts work through him as well, by invoking his image to raise their own spirits and frighten their enemies. Abbey society values the culture of community and love in Redwall, an idea that Martin helped grow, but that has been true forever and always.
Redwall Abbey is the center of the Redwall world, but is by no means the only community of value or impact. Another ancient location, Salamandastron, has been standing since the beginning of time. The warriors within have long-established teachings and traditions. Its Badger Rulers are summoned there by their ancestors to command the coast. The Long Patrol have a professional duty to protect every goodbeast from danger and to spring to battle at a moment’s notice, but they do so with good spirits and comradery. GUOSIM shrews are known to all woodlanders and warriors as they traverse and rule the River Moss. Throughout the country, small communities add to the tapestry of Redwall characters. Their existences and relationships create the web that is Mossflower Wood and the surrounding countryside- they are all special and integral to their stories.
Redwall has been a big piece of my life for such a long time, which I have found to be true for many other readers- I have found real friends through talking about the books! Brian Jacques started writing for a small group of children, but the series has grown well past that in the last thirty-seven years. During his career, he shared twenty-two intricate, meaningful, and celebrated stories with the world. Jacques wrote fantasies about adventure, tragedy, morality, beauty, and joy. Although his works are fiction, he wanted his audience to find real values and a real home in them. Jacques loved his readers and welcomed them into the books. My friends like to say that Redwall lives on because of the community that has been brought together around it, that it will never really end. Brian Jacques likes to say that the gates of Redwall Abbey are always standing, always open to those of good will and a kind heart.
Thank you so much for reading! I always say this, but I'm quite proud of what I've done. I'm so happy to be able to use my own words to create what could vaguely be called literature or art, that comes from my own heart and from a series I love so much. I am also so glad to contribute to the community with something I'm proud of, something I think is valuable, and to have a community to contribute to in the first place! Love to you all, and thank you again for visiting.
I have a lot more resources I created during this whole big project, so let me know if anyone wants to see my write-ups and things on the books! In truth, I'll probably post things later if I decide they're cool.
Have a wonderful night! Signed, Sable Rose.
Works Cited
Jacques, Brian. Redwall. New York, Penguin Random House, 2010.
---. The Rogue Crew. New York, Philomel Books, 2011.
“Redwall.” Redwall Wiki | Brian Jacques and Redwall Information. https://redwall.fandom.com/wiki/Redwall.
!!!!!!
That scene was insane I loved reading it. Another memorable death.
GETS AN IMAGINED FORM IN THE HEAD. GETS KILLED IN 3 CHAPTERS. BRAGGIO IRONHOOK.
Jum: You wanna be a public nuisance? Uggo: Sure, how much does the job pay?