If you think about it, being a toy would be pretty lonely. You just sit around waiting for a kid to play with you. Not the most exciting day. The Velveteen Rabbit doesn't even really have any toy friends to hang out with since all the other playthings in the Boy's room are kind of stuck up jerks. Since he's a toy he doesn't fit in with the wild rabbits either.
Of course, he's got the Boy, but then the Boy gets sick and the Rabbit is back to Lonely Island again just waiting to be burned to a crisp.
Kind of makes you want to take out your old toys and give them all really big hugs, doesn't it?
Questions About Isolation
- Why do you think the other toys in the nursery reject the Rabbit so quickly?
- The Rabbit says that his first few nights with the Boy are very uncomfortable. Even though he's cuddling with a child, he still feels lonely—why?
- Do you think the Velveteen Rabbit is sad that he couldn't make friends with the wild rabbits that he first meets?
Chew on This
When the Boy comes out of his own isolation after being sick, he's still very weak which is why he doesn't think the ask where the Velveteen Rabbit is.
At the end of the story, the Rabbit is finally accepted. He no longer has to worry about fitting in or being lonely because he's found his home with the group of wild rabbits.