Symbol for the government
At the beginning of the story, the narrator mentions the fact that the animals all shared the same shade beneath the trees and that they all sought shelter beneath it when the weather was hot. In this context, the shade is used as a symbol for protection. Later on, the shade becomes synonym with danger because the Terrible Things hide beneath the shade at the edge of the clearing as well. Analyzing these aspects, we can conclude that the shade is used here to symbolize the government and how in certain situations it can quickly change from being a protection to becoming a threat for the people.
High social status
The animals that were the first to be taken were the ones living in tress, namely the birds and the squirrels. The reason why the animals were taken was because they either had feathers or bushy tails and that made them stand out. However, it is implied that the real reason why the animals were taken was because they were living in the trees. Living there meant that the two animal species were above the animals that lived on the ground and in the streams. Thus, it is safe to assume that the tree is a symbol here for a high social status, a status that posed a threat to the Terrible Things.
They don’t need a reason
One of the main motifs in the story is the idea that the Terrible Things do not need a reason for acting the way they were. The Big Rabbit and the other animals all seemed to accept the behavior exhibited by the Terrible Things and did not think about questioning their judgment and actions. When Little Rabbit told Big rabbit that they should ask for help and move out, Big rabbit was being racist saying they are white rabbits but then the time comes there is no one to save them when they were crying for help.
Allegory for the war
The whole story is considered as being an allegory and this detail is also implied in the title. Thus, the author wanted to convey a simple yet complex message to her young readers about a very serious subject matter and to do that she decided to come up with an allegory about the horrors of the war, presented in a clear and simple way, easy to understand and transform into a moral lesson. This title or story represents how the Nazis or terrible things did something bad and there is no one left to save the intended victims.
Be grateful it was not you
Another common motif is the idea that the animals that remained behind in the clearing all considered themselves lucky and as a coping mechanism decided to think that they should be grateful to the Terrible Things instead of fearing them and trying to fight against them.
