Mugman as a Hare, Boris as a Wolf.
This is based on a post from a while ago where @nortsauce was asked what animal the myth gang they would be if they were furries or something like that, in the post nort say the animals had meaning and symbolism.
Screenshot @nortsauce post, date: january five this year.
So I did this research for fun! You can find the Cuphead and Bendy version on my blog!
Hares looks like rabbits but have larger ears and they are a little more bigger, Hares are capable of attacking using their paws and claws. They can attacking and defending aggressively if the situation warrants it, even against animals that are noticeably stronger or more dangerous, dogs or similar animals like...cough cough wolves COUGH COUGH!!
Also, they have a rough attitude that makes them very different from rabbits, hares fight back, rabbits can do it but they are smaller and more vulnerable... BUT! Hares are still herbivores, preys. hares have many predators and constant threats to their lives, that defensive attitude is primarily a biological defense response.
And in other hand, Mugman. even he acts very dominant and intimidating. he does it out of anxiety and fear. That is like a survival instinct in him, just like hares when they attack. The aggressiveness of hares stems from their own desire for survival.
Mugman's behavior is literally just a scared hare.
You can see it in his eyes,
besides...am I the only who's noticed how hard the cup-bros try to look threatening? Anyways
The hare is considered a symbol of good luck, abundance, and renewal, cuz to its great reproductive capacity And great capacity to avoid predators. In Greek culture the hares are sacred figures for goddesses like Aphrodite/Venus, thus showing as a symbol of sexuality, passion and love. They are also associated with shyness or cowardice, cuz they are shy and more active at night.
But, in Hebrew readings the hare were associated with impurity, cuz they were 'rumbling' animals (this has already been refuted by scientific studies) . In Hebrew, the word for the hare is arnebeth, a term which is composed of two words: arah, meaning “ruminate” and nib “fruit”.
Desc: This symbol is the three hares, is very old and represents abundance.
-the hare in Watership Down:
Now, the film Watership Down, the hares are the main characters, And these are constantly being attacked, murdered, and generally subjected to extreme situations, and the film shows us how they struggle to survive.
The film is generally very raw, but the central theme is their survival and the desire to reach a land free of oppressors, the hare represent that desire and the constant threat. in a land that may not exist.
Mugman's situation and the hares in the film can be seen as parallels; both the hares and he are driven to do things for survival. And the extreme violence in the film can also be associated with Mugman and his intrusive thoughts, also with his violent tendencies in the comic.
Fun fact!: hares can scream or emit a very high pitched squeal, similar to a baby's cry but higher pitched and ear splitting. It's not common, They do this when they are very scared or have several pain and... well, we have this panel.
I really wanted to skip this part, but I'll mention it anyway for future reference....like, I need to explain? Boris is literally a wolf.
Wolves are big mammals, they live in packs, they are carnivores and dominant, imposing and social animals...
Does this sound familiar? Not for me!
Like.. look at this bitch and tell me he's a dominant alpha!
Boris is a wolf, but he really doesn't quite fit into nature, except that he's protective and eats meat. This is where it all my fav part begins!:
The antithesis of Boris and the wolf:
-Description of antithesis:
Antithesis comes from the Greek Anti (against) and Thesis (proposition) literally meaning: opposition.
It consists of contrasting two ideas, phrases or words of opposite meaning in the same structure to emphasize a contrast. 🤓
I use an example of motm:
"I saved my brother, and I killed someone to do it."
The thesis is the fact that Boris saved his brother, and the opposing part is the fact that he had to kill Cuphead to do it.So it gives more weight to his decision.
Motm has many cases like this if you think about it.
with this, let me explain my antithesis:
When I say the wolf is an antithesis is because the wolf in nature is opposite to what Boris himself is:
Wolves are social: Boris is not social, literally his only friend is his brother. 🥀
Wolves are dominant: Boris is not dominant; many times it is seen that he is the one who is afraid or acts in a more 'passive' way and does not seek to impose himself on others.
Boris is peaceful. But the story constantly pushes him to become something he is not, to make decisions he wouldn't normally make.
the fact that Boris represents a wolf is not because it is his direct representation, it's a symbol of what he is forced to become and how the comic constantly pushes him towards these rash decisions.
In all these scenes Boris is forced to leave his morality, as if there was only one way, the story of the comic itself keeps Boris in this constant dilemma about what he has to be and what not to be.
The symbolism of the wolf figure is associated with strength and courage, because it's is an carnivorous and hunting figure, It is an animal that also represents the wild independence of oneself, the desire to live by one's own rules and at the same time communicate with others.
On the other hand, independence works against them. wolf are also associated with savage, sin, ferocity and threat. cuz they are ruthless carnivores in wild. In addition, the term 'Bad Wolf' is sometimes used for an evil or very rough man.
Credits to the author! I love this image and take the opportunity to use it.
Fun fact! : wolves generally do not live alone or survive alone, most who are alone not by choice, they create close bonds with their pack and depend on it to hunt and survive, They usually live in pack structures. Maybe that's why Boris don't want Bendy gone. He would suffer greatly without his family...:(
NOW The relationship of the two!
And to finish a look at their relationship and summary!
The dynamic between them is very prey and Predator,
Mugaman is tied to Boris and represents the hare, a prey
Boris has the soul of a mugman and represents the wolf, a predator.
Boris doesn't like mugman so much and mugman doesn't like Boris so much
And their representations tell us much more.
Mugman is shy, acts aggressively and like the hares of watership down he is forced to do things he does not want to do for survival with his brother.
Boris is a wolf, but he does not represent it as such, he does not share the idea of dominance and nature, although he has determination to fight to be peaceful and for his family.
Even if the situation is one of power as prey and predator...
they literally show themselves some hostility openly, buh there is also some underlying connection.
I wouldn't call it something like affection or love or friendship, just like a sincere and short "I understand you", They have shown genuine piety and solidarity even if they do not like each other.
They show empathy, is curious because their representative animals are natural enemies.
Even if they are so different you can see an encounter between these two contrary things that determines in harmony, such as yin and yan for example :)
Unlike the crazy Sluts of their brothers I see more potential for them to have a nice relationship! I can't wait to see it!.
Damn, this was harder than I thought, I even had to research about Watership down (Why is that movie so depressing? 😭)
Anyway, I hope you liked it as always, thanks for the support of my other analysis, 💞 ✌️
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