Warriors into the Wild

Warriors: Into the Wild is the first novel by Erin Hunter in the Warriors series. It is in the fantasy genre and is similar to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series in that it combines fictional elements with real world, believable characters. For instance, Warriors: Into the Wild centers on a group of wild cats and at the heart of the story is a house cat named Rusty, who makes the transition from domestic animal to feral creature of the forest. This paper will describe the events of the first novel of this series by Hunter and show how it fits into the overall fantasy genre.

The main character of Warriors: Into the Wild, is Rusty, a house cat with a strong heart and good leadership abilities that will propel him to the heart of the action in the novel. One day, Rusty is in his human's backyard when a stranger cat intrudes into the yard before going back into the woods. Rusty is intrigued and ventures into the woods to see what is going on. This shows that Rusty is like many other fantasy characters, who leave the safety of their homes to investigate the mysterious world just outside the gate.

In the woods, Rusty meets the wild cat named Graypaw, who intruded into Rusty's human's yard. He is of the Thunderclan. Graypaw is threatening, "What's a kittypet like you doing out in the woods?" (Hunter 14). Rusty and Graypaw argue and Rusty shows a lot of courage. The other wild cats watching are impressed by Rusty's courage and they invite Rusty to join them because they have never seen a kittypet demonstrate like that. Graypaw objects, "But kittypets can't be warriors!" he says, adding, "They don't have warrior blood!" (Hunter 21). Nonetheless, Bluestar and Lionheart, the older cats who are training Graypaw, who is a young cat, see something special in Rusty.

Rusty decides to think over the invitation to join the clan -- but ultimately he decides that he will. It is like his true nature is calling out to him to leave the safety and security of his domestic world and embark on the adventure that lies waiting outside the human's yard. In other words, he is going on a quest. The same thing happens in other works in the fantasy genre: Harry Potter leaves his ordinary home to join the wizards' academy. The hobbits leave the Shire to take part in the adventure of the ring in Lord of the Rings. Fantasy books are all about main characters leaving ordinary, everyday surroundings and taking part in an adventure that is larger than life. In these type of adventures, the main characters eventually have to prove themselves. This is exactly what happens in Warriors: Into the Wild. Rusty transforms from a house pet to a true warrior cat, helping to save other members of the clan and fight off the enemy clan throughout the course of the novel. Just as the title suggests, this is a story about a cat leaving the home to venture into the wild.

Rusty's transformation from house cat to warrior begins when he decides to join the clan. He fights another cat named Longtail and in the fight, he loses his collar, which identifies him as a house cat. This shows that his identity is changing: he no longer has the markings of a kittypet -- he is losing that which identifies him as such and now looks more like a wild cat of the clan. When Rusty's mentor, who is watching, stops the two cats' fight, Rusty is given a new name: Firepaw.

This name is significant because early in the novel there is a prophecy made by the ancient cat spirits to the clan: the prophecy says that the clan will be saved by fire. This prophecy is confusing to the clan because cats are afraid of fire, so they do not understand what it means. It is actually a way that the author foreshadows the great destiny of Rusty -- but when Rusty is renamed Firepaw, the reader should be able to connect the dots and realize that Rusty, now Firepaw (and later renamed Fireheart after proving himself even more courageous), is the "fire" mentioned in the prophecy -- the one who will save the clan. Firepaw does indeed save the clan at the end of the novel, and Graypaw, who first introduce Firepaw to the wild is made into a warrior as well and renamed Graystripe.

The novel fits into the fantasy genre because it takes cats, which are ordinary creatures, and gives them human feelings and thoughts and an entire universe that is separate from the "real world" that we know about. For instance, at the beginning of the novel there is an illustrated map of the regions of the different cat clans. This shows that there exists a world that belongs to cats that humans do not know about. So that is one way that this novel fits into the fantasy genre. Another way is that the characters grow to prove themselves to be full of courage by undergoing tests and trials. They have to use their wits and be brave and strong so as to overcome obstacles and threats. In this manner they transform themselves and become like legends for the reader to look up to. They demonstrate the virtues that the reader should like to have in him or herself.

In conclusion, Warriors: Into the Wild is a fun book that teaches the reader some lessons about what it means to be smart, brave, courageous and true to one's calling. It is a fantasy book that shows that we too can be brave and strong if we dare to step outside our comfortable, safe spaces and take part in the adventure of life that lies waiting just around the corner. All we have to do is go out and accept the invitation like Rusty. Of course, it helps if we have the same kind of good qualities that he had. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes the fantasy genre, as it has elements of war, romance, adventure and friendship in it. Don't be fooled by the cover -- it is more than just a story about cats!

Works Cited

Hunter, Erin. Warriors: Into the Wild. UK: Avon Books, 2003. Print.