The Flat Rabbit

Author: Bardur Oskarsson
Plot Summary: A dog and a rat come across a rabbit. A flat rabbit, lying silently on the road. It all seems rather sad, and so they decide to move her. But where to? They can’t just return her to her apartment, completely flattened. What would the neighbors think? The dog and the rat try to figure out what to do. Then the dog gets a brilliant idea. They decide to give the flat rabbit the send-off she deserves. This is a story about encountering death and dealing with it. It touches on themes of sadness, uncertainty, and rituals surrounding someone’s passing.
Posted In: Metaphysics

Discussion Questions

• Just because you find something does that make it yours?
• Is there such a thing as an appropriate way to deal with death?
• Are the dog and rat certain that the rabbit is dead? How do they understand ‘death’?
• Why did dog and rat tie the rabbit to a kite if they weren’t sure it would be fun for her?
• What does the dog mean when he asks “want a turn” at the end of the story?
• What authority or right do we have to decide what is best for a person that doesn’t have the means or capabilities to express through language what they want? (E.g. someone in a coma)
• Why do the dog and rat think the rabbit needs to be moved?
• Why did they think the sky was a good place for her to be?
• Is a rational decision necessarily better than an emotional one?