The Wind in the Willows Critique - Essay Example

The Wind in the Willows The Wind in the Willows' was written by Kenneth Grahame in 1908. This essay explores the ways the novel refutes the criticisms that it lacks coherence in drawing together incompatible elements. The mole and the rat seemed incompatible at their introduction but the rat is patient and he seats the mole into his boat with ease. Grahame overcomes the objection as he writes; 'The Rat said nothing, but stooped and unfastened a rope and hauled on it; then lightly stepped into a little boat which the Mole had not observed. It was painted blue outside and white within, and was just the size for two animals; and the Mole's whole heart went out to it at once, even though he did not yet fully understand its uses.' (Grahame 2004, p. 7). The Mole is interested and participates in the boating activity although he does not understand what it is all about. This shows that despite the complete strangeness of a new and alien activity which initially seems incompatible to the inherent nature of Mole, the willingness to try it proves to be beneficial to him. Mole takes a splash into the water due to his excitement but he does not give up the idea of boating as incompatible to him. He perseveres and overcomes the incompatibility of his first encounter with boating. Grahame explains the different behaviors of the animals as belonging to the quaint culture called the animal-etiquette and not as incompatible elements thrown together. (Grahame 2004, p.10, 12). The narrative attributes certain behaviors to the unique animal culture when it says; 'The Rat hummed a tune, and the Mole recollected that animal-etiquette forbade any sort of comment on the sudden disappearance of one's friends at any moment, for any reason or no reason whatever.' (Grahame 2004, p.12). This mirrors the human society that is comprised of people from all walks of life. They are so different as to seem incompatible but yet co-exist in an interweaved mesh that allows for divergence and privacy. Grahame has put together a diverse set of characters that seem incompatible but they are consistent with the diversity that is present in the human population. The animals are the allegories that parallel humans. Grahame uses the setting of the River Bank and Wild Wood because it allows a diverse environment in which he can have a variety of animals and Silvey says; 'Not only is it a nostalgic evocation of the English countryside and a way of life that he felt was under threat, but in the characters of Rat and Mole we can detect aspects of himself.' (Silvey 1995, p. 87). Silvey also says that Grahame depicts human characters in the guise of animals. The rat and mole experience life in much the same way as humans. They enjoy comradeship, boating and a picnic. They exhibit some human traits. The rat is kind to the mole and forgives him for making a complete fool of himself in the water. Furthermore, he promises to teach the mole to row and swim. (Grahame 2004, p. 13). By putting together a group of seemingly incompatible characters, Grahame shows how friendships form, bond and cement to make life better in the community. On the other hand, Grahame shows that friendships enrich life. The underlying message is that if animals can form enduring bonds, humans should do much better. Dancygier says that Grahame uses frame metonymy, or the substitution of the name of an attribute for the name of the thing itself. (Dancygier 2005, p. 1). This camouflaging of elements give the impression that incompatible elements are thrown together. 'We are like the Rat in our book-initial quotation from The Wind in the Willows: give us a grammatical "door-scraper," and we can see a whole house, the entire experimental frame within which we understand what door-scrapers are for.' (Dancygier 2005, p. 25 ). This "door-scraper" is a symbol that draws together the seemingly incompatible elements to give an overall picture of what's going on. Rat and Mole find the door-scraper in the snowing woods. Grahame does not let Rat tell the connotations of the door-scraper right away but slowly reveals the associations like a door mat and door. He uses the "door-scraper" as a metonymy to lead to something bigger like a warm house that will save them from the freezing cold. (Grahame 2004, p. 30). There are characters who seem incompatible to others by virtue of their animal behaviors that are inherent to their species. For example, the Badger is active for six months in a year and sleeps for the other six. It seems an odd pattern which may alienate him from the other animals but Badger makes special efforts to socialize whenever visitors drop by. He makes himself socially compatible although his innate nature is one of solidarity. (Grahame 2004, p. 34). When Badger discusses about the different types of animal houses, he reveals that each type has unique features that are only compatible with the characteristics of its owner. In a similar way, animals are rather detached about materialism, politics and social culture. Thus, animals seem to be incompatible with one another. Mole explains; 'Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely your own master, and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and there the things are, waiting for you.' (Grahame 2004, p. 36). Mole actually says that the continuous diversity of a dynamic environment need not bear any relation to the incompatibility of the individual to it. The Wind in the Willows is supposed to be a children's literature but it is also a Victorian literature. At its prevalent time, Victorian children's literature was read by adults as much as children. Grahame used animals as they are symbols of acceptance by children. The animals engage in play activities because they are young at heart, just like children. Boating, swimming, sharing a picnic and outdoor play are children's pastimes. River Bank and Wild Wood mirror human societies and are compatible with the normal paradigms of a human society. Toad seems incompatible with the other creatures. He is the richest creature in the novel. He owns Toad Hall. He has many weaknesses that derive partly from his careless wealth. He is too conceited to bear mistakes. He does not change despite experiencing a series of accidents with his motor cars. Toad appears to be in a whole class of his own which makes him seem incompatible with the other elements in the novel. Initially, he appears to be incompatible with the other creatures but when he goes on a road trip with Rat and Mole, he is friendly and obliging. However, Toad is impractical and cannot handle a crisis. He is a necessary character to show the hypocrisy of the upper economic class. The animals share camaraderie and are show their strength of compatible friendship when they gather their resources to reform Toad, redeem him and restore his rightful Toad Hall back to him. It cannot be said then that the characters are incompatible. The Rat has his own method of dealing with the incompatible elements. The narrative on the Rat says; 'As he hurried along, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would be at home again among the things he knew and liked, the Mole saw clearly that he was an animal of tilled field and hedge-row, linked to the ploughed furrow, the frequented pasture, the lane of evening lingerings, the cultivated garden-plot. For others the asperities, the stubborn endurance, or the clash of actual conflict, that went with Nature in the rough; he must be wise, must keep to the pleasant places in which his lines were laid and which held adventure enough, in their way, to last for a lifetime.' (Grahame 2004, p. 39). Rat chooses to avoid conflicts with those who are not compatible with social mannerisms. However, he makes special provisions to accommodate his friend Mole. When he finds out that Mole is deeply affected by nostalgia for his old home, he makes them turn back to locate it. (Grahame 2004, p. 43). When there are unexpected surprise carolers of field mice, he makes effort to ensure they get their stomach's fill of food and hospitality. Rat adapts himself to the different and somewhat poor state of Mole's home. He does not for a moment, betray his thoughts of any incompatibility of Mole's old home to his accustomed lap of luxury. Mole, too, realized how desolate his old home seems to anyone who comes from the upper world like the River Bank and Wild Wood. He feels that he is less compatible with his old home now that he has broadened his perspectives. The narration says; 'He did not at all want to abandon the new life and its splendid spaces, to turn his back on sun and air and all they offered him and creep home and stay there; the upper world was all too strong, it called to him still, even down there, and he knew he must return to the larger stage. But it was good to think he had this to come back to; this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome.' (Grahame 2004, p. 48). Mole is not too proud to reject his old home as being incompatible but rather recognizes that he has changed but would still appreciate the simple pleasures of his faithful old home. The wisest animal is the Badger and he proclaims that the motor car and Toad are incompatible. He leads Rat and Mole on a mission to reform Toad and relinquish his obsession for fast motor cars to save Toad and other future victims of his reckless driving. Toad is blind to the fact that he is incompatible to driving. (Grahame 2004, p. 49). Rat says that Toad is reckless; ''Smashes, or machines' asked the Rat. 'Oh, well, after all, it's the same thing--with Toad. This is the seventh. As for the others--you know that coach-house of his Well, it's piled up--literally piled up to the roof--with fragments of motor-cars, none of them bigger than your hat! That accounts for the other six--so far as they can be accounted for.' The civil law caches up with Toad and the judge puts him away for committing offences of theft, reckless driving and disrespect for the police. Grahame writes about incompatible pastimes of the wealthy to show the consequences of the incompatible actions. In River Bank and Wild Wood, as in any human society, individuals who engage in incompatible activities become incompatible with society and they are put away for the greater benefit of the larger quantities of inhabitants. However, all is not lost with Toad as he is rescued by his true friends and reforms to become compatible with the society's values later in the novel. Even as the animals know themselves to be incompatible with the belief systems of different individuals, they are compassionate and willing to extend their help to anyone in need. Rat and Mole sacrifice their night of sleep to search for Portly, the Otter's lost son. They are rewarded by finding him and also rewarded with the privilege of witnessing a great spectacle in Nature. The Nature which is incompatible with Portly or vice versa has the consequence of Portly being lost but Nature compensates the sacrifices of Rat and Mole by letting Portly be found. Not only that but Rat and Mole witness a beautiful moment in Nature's scenery. Grahame conveys his message that incompatibility should not be a discouragement to anyone. Toad escapes from jail with the help of his jailor's daughter and the washerwoman. Toad is so conceited that he fancies the girl loves him although they are from different species and are certainly incompatible. The girl pities Toad. Grahame repeats the theme of compassion to unite seemingly incompatible characters together. When Toad confesses that he is a jail breaker to the Engine Driver of his getaway train, the Driver says to him; ' "I fear that you have been indeed a wicked toad, and by rights I ought to give you up to offended justice. But you are evidently in sore trouble and distress, so I will not desert you. I don't hold with motor-cars, for one thing; and I don't hold with being ordered about by policemen when I'm on my own engine, for another. And the sight of an animal in tears always makes me feel queer and softhearted." '(Grahame 2004, p. 71). The Driver says that his personal conviction is incompatible with motor cars but that his other beliefs of helping fellow creatures, self-respect and compassion encourage him to help Toad. Whatever is incompatible may be just a mental challenge that needs to be overcome. Toad finds himself incompatible with the surroundings after his jail break. The narrative says; 'After so many weeks within walls, he found the wood strange and unfriendly and inclined, he thought, to make fun of him.' (Grahame 2004, p. 71). Toad's forced migration away from River Bank and Wild Wood renders him feeling incompatible with it. On the other hand, Grahame writes about the seasonal migration of animals. It does not mean that the creatures are incompatible with their environments but because they possess inborn traits which direct them to do seasonal migration. The animals simply cannot explain why they are incompatible and feel the urge to move. The narration says; 'So they depart, with a smile and a nod, and we miss them, and feel resentful.' (Grahame 2004, p. 73). Grahame has a reason for writing all the elements in his plot. There are no hazardous inclusion of incompatible elements without valid rationale to support his stand. The sensible Rat is hypnotized by a seafarer Rat's suggestion that he too, migrate southward. Rat is overcome and cannot consider that he is incompatible as a sailing rat following a seafarer Rat. Mole stopped him just in the nick of time. Mole has matured and come full circle, helping his benefactor. He has come a long way from being an incompatible, naive underground dwelling Mole who constantly needed the mentorship of his friend the Rat. Rat could not explain to Mole what happened to him not because of their incompatibility but because he was under some sort of spell as the narration says; 'Even to himself, now the spell was broken and the glamour gone, he found it difficult to account for what had seemed, some hours ago, the inevitable and only thing. It is not surprising, then, that he failed to convey to the Mole any clear idea of what he had been through that day.' (Grahame 2004, p. 82). Mole is willing to look past their differences and incompatibilities and continue to take care of his friend in an unobtrusive manner. The proud Toad is so conceited that he cannot reconcile himself to be compatible with the barge woman, if only for the duration of the boat ride. Toad gets thrown into the water and he spitefully takes revenge on her by stealing her horse and running her barge aground. (Grahame 2004, p. 87). It is reminded that while running away, Toad often volunteers his identity because of his pride and his benefactors then turn against him. Toad proves himself to be incompatible time and time again but his friends remain faithful because they believe he can reform. The Wild Wood dwellers like the Weasels and Stoats usurp Toad Hall by force because they are jealous of the River Bank Toad's wealth. They are even more incompatible creatures in society than the pompous Toad. When Toad comes face to face with them, he realizes how that kind of behavior is incompatible with basic civil rights. He feels the pain of having his prized possession stolen from him. He is served retribution for stealing the car as he is brought to Nature's great justice of retribution when his own home is stolen. Badger takes charge of the diverse army of the Water Rat, the Toad, the Mole and himself. He shows how a group of seemingly incompatible yet good friends battle and gain victory over a group of seemingly compatible weasels and stoats. Grahame shows that the intrinsic goodness of the good characters make them compatible with similar good characters despite their outward differences. The novel shows cohesiveness when it ends with the successful reform of Toad to become compatible with society and most importantly, with himself. Grahame's characters possess some degree of incompatibility as he wants to show that their friendships can overcome objections and they derive at the common goal of ultimate compatibility, living in harmony and mutual help. The Wind In The Willow has coherence in all its chapters that lead to a climax. This essay concludes that there is coherence and compatibility in The Wind In The Willow. The End. Works Cited. Dancygier, B. (2005). Mental Spaces in Grammar: Conditional Constructions. U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521844681. Project Gutenberg. "The Wind In The Willows By Kenneth Grahame" (http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext95/wwill11.txt). Project Gutenberg. 25 Apr. 2007. Silvey, A. (1995). Children's Books and Their Creators. USA: Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 0395653800. Read More