Wind In The Willows By Kenneth Grahame

Wind in the Willows is an excellent book written by Kenneth Grahame, which explores friendship and morals in a pastoral-industrial world of anthropomorphic animals, which exhibit human-like behavior. Even though it consists of controversial material for a conventional children’s book like crime, it is widely considered a children’s book as the effect of talking animal’s inclines towards friendlier storytelling with sketches of its characters in the book. In this essay, using quotes and content found in the book, the key moments of Toad’s journey will be followed and it will be determined whether he has truly changed or not and the reason behind either result will be presented.
Toad is portrayed as the rich occupant and owner of the Toad Hall, who has is able to engage in his impulsive desires like punting, house-boating and hot air balloons and is
Up to this point, Toad shows absolutely no remorse for his actions and the only thing he acknowledges is that he had “been a fool, strutting about the country, singing conceited songs, hailing people in broad daylight instead of hiding in nightfall and quietly reaching home” (Grahame 206). Following this, two kind gentlemen in a motorcar see Toad lying in the street and decide to help him, albeit perceiving a washerwoman. Toad, upon realizing that he isn’t recognized, tricks them into letting him get to the driver’s seat and in a déjà vu, cons the same drivers (whose car he stole before he was sentenced to twenty years in prison) and tells them “ I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison breaker, the Toad who always escapes!” (Grahame 209). It seems that Toad understands the world isn’t a fair place and his mischievousness against society reflects this, showing some degree of intelligence and street smarts by Toad, as he manages to survive despite being along and