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Kenneth Grahame’s children’s novel is a picaresque—a series of adventure stories featuring a roguish, adventuring protagonist—that is resolved through an appreciation of home and community. The Wind in the Willows begins when the Mole leaves his home to adventure along the river and into the Wild Wood with the Water Rat. Together, these two creatures learn the value of friendship, home, and nature’s mysteries. The other main plot follows the adventures of the Toad. The Toad’s arrogance and braggadocio symbolize the danger of placing oneself above society and straying too far from where one belongs. In the story, society is represented by the Mole, Water Rat, and Badger, who encourage the Toad to behave in a more dignified way. As the Toad indulges his passions, he removes himself from civilized society. At this point, his home is overtaken by the creatures of the Wild Wood, who embody the lawless extreme of irresponsible behavior. The picaresque is resolved when the friends restore Toad to his property, and civil society celebrates with a banquet. In the end, the Mole is praised for his intelligence and bravery, and the Toad is forced to behave with more humility.
The Wind in the Willows is a loose homage to Aesop’s fables, and it shares the fables’ allegorical nature and animal characters, but Grahame’s work differentiates itself in its complexity. Fables typically feature one-dimensional characters that represent obvious virtues or vices. The Mole and the Toad, on the other hand, are well-rounded characters who change and grow as the novel progresses. These characters are complex and have both good and bad qualities. The Mole, for example, is a thoughtful friend, but is also impulsive and seeks adventure. The Toad shares these qualities, but he is also generous with his friends and eager to entertain. The Mole’s mistakes come from curiosity and impulsivity, traits that lead him to go caravanning with the Toad and to enter the Wild Wood alone. These traits put his friends at risk, which distresses the Mole and encourages him to change. By contrast, the Toad has no remorse when his friends confront him about his recklessness. He is obsessive about using the world’s newest inventions. Unlike the Mole, he doesn’t seek adventure out of curiosity or camaraderie but to pursue his own passionate interest. This blend of the good and the bad makes the novel’s animal society complex, and its characters and lessons richer than traditional fables.
The biggest difference between allegorical beast fables and The Wind in the Willows is the importance of setting. Setting is such a prominent feature in Grahame’s novel that it almost qualifies as a character. As the scenery, season, and time of day changes, nature is personified and it inspires wonder in the characters. By contrast, in most fables, the setting is a simple backdrop that contains only what is necessary to communicate the lesson of the allegory. In The Wind in the Willows, the setting dictates the novel’s tone and influences the characters’ actions, so they are whimsical and carefree along the river, easily distracted during migratory season, and frightened out of their wits in the Wild Wood. Setting also constitutes one of the novel’s central themes, directing attention away from the moral lessons that occupy fables. Instead, the book focuses on the values of home and friendship that the setting mediates, strengthening the characters’ connections to one another as they navigate the world’s dangers and appreciate its wonders.
During the novel’s rising action, the Mole matures into a caring, compassionate friend whose adventures have given him a greater understanding of and appreciation for home and society. His journey toward maturity begins when his instinct pulls him toward home. His humble return with the Water Rat teaches him that while a life of adventure is fun, home is the real treasure. Afterward, the Mole exhibits his maturity in three separate episodes. First, he and the Water Rat spend a summer night searching the river’s banks and backwaters for the Otter’s son, Portly. They don’t do so for the sake of adventure but to ease their friend’s suffering. Second, the Mole rouses the Water Rat from the Sea Rat’s enchantment. The Mole returns the Water Rat to the domestic comfort of his river home. The Mole’s third triumph is his clever plot to trick the stoats into abandoning the weasels during the attack to retake Toad Hall. After starting as a naïve, impulsive follower, the Mole emerges a leader among his peers.
Unlike the Mole, whose character develops naturally, the Toad is forced to change in response to social pressure. As a result, his growth over the course of the book is limited. The Toad’s comically roguish exploits start when he is in jail. From there, they become increasingly ludicrous, especially in contrast with the more serious and meaningful adventures of the Mole and the Water Rat. The Toad is out in the world alone, fighting senseless battles rooted in pride, celebrating petty triumphs, and recklessly endangering himself. In the novel’s final chapter, he is demoted to a bit player in his own drama. Even though it is the Toad’s home that is under attack, his role in the final battle is small and his agency is limited. The Water Rat rescues him from drowning and supplies the weapons to the army, the Badger plans the mode of attack, and the Mole uses a disguise to trick the stoats. The Toad is jealous of the Mole’s transformation, but he cannot manage a similar change. Instead of undergoing an organic change of heart, he is forced into compliance.
