User blog:Martin2/Essay:The Patterns of Redwall (Rough Draft)

Introduction
Like any book, the text in the Redwall books is designed to generate a certain mood. Extending details on some subjects and using certain expressions can change the mood of the books. In order to examine fully the general pattern followed by Brain Jaques, we shall examine each of the three parts of the books in turn.

Book 1: Life at Redwall/Something Really Bad Happened!
The first books in the Redwall series are often the fastest paced. They begin usually with a cryptic paragraph or five on the main antagonist, to be later fully revealed. These scenes are designed to give the reader a feeling of impending doom. Next, the scene almost always switches to Redwall Abbey, in a time of peace. The basic introductions to many of main characters are given here. The characters are almost always unawares of the impending attack. The mood of the book within chapters becomes danger, and then suddenly the passages become very pessimistic. Less emotional details are given, but more practical, giving a feeling of cold calculation. The odds are that Redwall will lose.

Book 2: The Quest/Research at Redwall
Typically the book starts with doom and gloom, progressing onwards to the discovery that a main character must go somewhere to do something to save the Abbey/Forest/Mountain/Etc. While said hero goes on said quest, mood goes on the uplift for the quester/s. They become almost jovial, ignoring the impending doom hanging over their home. At Redwall, those left behind usually are franticly trying to solve some puzzle that has importance. The quester/s achieve their objective and prepare to return home in some stories, in others the model differs here. Sometimes the puzzles are also solved here, furthering the variables.

Book 3: The Return home/Forward the Noble Defenders!/Attack those Vermin!
Here the standard method differs. We can classify two types of books by these differences. A) The Defend Redwall by going on quest type, and the B) Defend some other place by going there. Either way, the final confrontation of the books takes place now. I will cover each type in turn.

A) Save Redwall!
This type of book is where Redwall Abbey is directly attacked, as in ‘’Redwall’’. In the third book here, the hero/ine returns, usually with the aid of some others s/he picked up along the way. They together team up with the valiant defenders at Redwall, and jointly beat the vermin black and blue. This also applies to saving Salamandastron or Mossflower.

B) Save Somebody else
This type of book is where the quest is to save somebody else, (I.e., Green Isle in High Rhulain, or going to Marlfox Island in Marlfox). The heroes arrive at the place, or are getting very near on the last leg of their journey, and defeat the enemy. They usually free many slaves in the process.

Conclusion
Generally, all Redwall books generate these moods and follow these patterns. Of course, like with every rule, there are exceptions. However, despite the books that don’t, I find most redwall books will follow these patterns.