Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Wind in the Willows, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Friendship and Mentorship
Manners, Conduct, and Consequences
Nature, Leisure, and the Modern World
Home, Identity, and Adventure
Greed, Arrogance, and Social Class
Summary
Analysis
Mole has been waiting a long time to meet Badger. Badger is rarely out and about, but he seems to influence everything. Rat always refuses to take Mole to meet Badger, or to invite Badger for supper. Badger, according to Rat, “hates society, and invitations, and dinner, and all that sort of thing.” He also insists that they can’t just go call on Badger, since Badger lives in the middle of the Wild Wood—but Rat is unwilling to explain exactly what he means to Mole, who believes Rat’s earlier sentiment that animals in the Wild Wood are fine.
Rat is showing Badger respect by doing what makes Badger comfortable—not showing up at his house uninvited, and not inviting him to dinner. The fact that Badger “hates society, and invitations, and dinner” suggests that doesn’t find etiquette and formal social conventions as important or enjoyable as the other animals do. Moreover, Rat’s caginess when it comes to telling Mole more about the animals in the Wild Wood suggests that the creatures who live there might not be as nice and helpful as Mole would perhaps like to believe.
Themes
So, Mole passes the summer happily and doesn’t think of Badger much until winter. As the river rushes past Rat’s house, Mole wonders about Badger. Rat spends his days sleeping, scribbling poetry, and entertaining guests. When guests come, they spend their time laughing and reminiscing about the summer they just had. Around the warm fire, the animals talk about how the plants first started to emerge in the spring, and then how summer brought the countryside fully to life.
Nature is clearly important to the characters: in the dead of winter, when it’s too cold to go outside, the animals talk almost exclusively about their summer in the countryside. Their conversations make it clear that nature is a source of beauty, entertainment, and joy for them. In lieu of spending time outdoors in the winter, the animals find safety, warmth, and comfort in Rat’s house. In this way, the novel portrays both the natural world and the domestic world as important spaces.
Themes
Literary Devices
But Mole continues to think about Badger, and one afternoon, while Rat is dozing, Mole decides to go out and meet Badger himself. It’s cold, and the land is barren, but Mole is entranced—it’s like the leafy places in summer have been caught naked, their mysteries exposed. It’s all very exciting as Mole enters the Wild Wood. But as dusk falls, “the faces beg[i]n.” Mole notices evil-looking faces peering at him from holes and tunnels, so he hurries on, wondering if he’s imagining things. Before long, it seems like there’s a hateful face in every tunnel. To escape them, Mole veers off the path—and then, the whistling starts. It’s faint at first and seems to be coming from behind him, but then it comes from all directions.
Mole doesn’t fully understand yet how the community on the riverbank and in the Wild Wood functions, so he’s very curious. But his choice to set off on his own to find Badger is framed as dangerous and selfish—Badger will think Mole is rude if Mole winds up on his doorstep, and Rat has alluded to the possibility that the Wild Wood is more sinister than it might seem. Indeed, almost instantly, Mole realizes he should’ve listened to Rat: the forest, and the animals in it, seem intent on frightening him.
Themes
Mole is terrified by the time the pattering begins. It seems at first like leaves falling, but then he realizes it’s definitely feet. Mole listens, and suddenly, a rabbit races right for him and mutters for Mole to get out. The pattering starts to sound like something—or someone—is chasing down their prey. Mole runs, falling over things, and then he finds a hollow of an old tree. Since he’s exhausted, he decides to rest. He wishes he’d listened to Rat.
Mole quickly sees the error of his ways. He knows now that Rat wasn’t trying to ruin Mole’s fun by refusing to take him into the Wild Wood. Rather, Rat was trying to keep him safe—and Mole would be safe now, had he listened. In this way, Mole is very different from Toad, who isn’t willing or able to own up to his mistakes. For now, though, it’s unclear how Mole is going to get out of this frightening situation.
Themes
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Rat, meanwhile, wakes with a start and realizes Mole isn’t there. Seeing that Mole’s coat and galoshes are gone, Rat steps outside. He finds Mole’s tracks leading right for the Wild Wood, so he arms himself with some pistols and a cudgel and follows his friend. At first the faces appear for Rat—but when they see his weapons, they leave him alone. The whispering and pattering stops too, leaving everything still and quiet. Rat calls for Mole and finally locates him in the tree hollow. Rat explains to his friend that riverbank animals seldom come here alone—and to be safe, one has to know about the passwords and signs and such that keep a small animal safe. Otter and Badger, of course, are safe in the Wild Wood, but even brave Toad won’t come here alone.
Because Rat is observant and values being prepared, he immediately realizes what happened and how to safely remedy it. He also shows that he’s not going to hold a grudge or punish Mole for disobeying him. Rather, he’s going to gently and kindly teach Mole that setting out on his own was a bad idea, so that Mole knows exactly why he shouldn’t do this again. This makes Rat a good mentor (though, of course, it helps that Mole wants to please and learn from Rat—unlike Toad).
Themes
Mole feels better already, with Rat here and especially with Rat’s weapons. Rat says they have to get going before it gets too dark, but Mole insists he’s too tired to leave now. Rat agrees to let Mole sleep until the moon rises to give them light. Finally, Mole wakes up, and the friends head out—and discover that it’s snowing hard. The snow transforms the woods, covering up the frightening holes with fine powder. Holding hands so they don’t lose each other, Rat and Mole head out and spend two hours wandering in the now-unfamiliar woods. Then they collapse on a log to rethink their plan.
Even though Rat has implied that they’re still in danger, Mole feels better just having Rat around, which is a testament to how powerful friendship can be in making beings feel safe and comforted. The snowstorm also presents another problem, since it so dramatically changes the landscape. In this situation, nature isn’t the benevolent, delightful force it was in the summer. Now, it demands Mole and Rat’s awe and respect, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll get out of the Wild Wood unscathed.
Themes
Literary Devices
The Wild Wood seems to go on forever, and the snow makes things dangerous—not only can Rat and Mole barely walk through the deep snow, but they’ve both fallen in holes hidden by the snow. Rat suggests they head down into a dell ahead and find a place to rest. As they’re poking around, Mole trips, falls, and grabs his leg, squealing in pain. Rat kindly examines Mole’s cut and notes that the cut is clean—it wasn’t made by a rock or a stump. As Mole, forgetting his grammar, says it doesn’t matter “what done it,” Rat pokes around in the snow—and then whoops with joy.
Again, nature is no longer a wonder or a delight—it’s causing injury and fear, and it’s making it difficult for Rat and Mole to find their way home. But again, Rat is observant and seems to know something that Mole and readers don’t, so perhaps not all is lost. The note that Mole forgot his grammar implies that using proper grammar is important—per the novel, a cut on one’s leg is no excuse to forget one’s manners.
Themes
Literary Devices
Mole comes to look at what Rat found: a door-scraper. Mole is unimpressed; clearly, some “careless and forgetful person” left a door-scraper lying around. Rat tells Mole to stop being silly and help him dig. After a few minutes, Rat reveals a doormat, which Mole declares is more “domestic litter.” They can’t eat it, and it isn’t going to tell Rat anything useful. Angry now, Rat tells Mole to be quiet and scrape. Mole obeys, though he thinks Rat’s mind is leaving them. But then, 10 minutes later, Rat’s cudgel hits something hollow. With Mole’s help, the friends reveal a door with a bell pull and a brass plate that reads, “Mr. Badger.”
Door-scrapers were small metal bars, commonly attached to doorsteps, that guests could use to scrape mud off their shoes. So, Rat realizes from the moment he finds the door-scraper that he’s probably found Badger’s doorstep, and that Badger might be willing to shelter or otherwise help him and Mole. Mole is so cold and upset that he’s having trouble following Rat’s lead in this situation. Yet Rat’s instincts prove to be correct, again emphasizing the importance of humbling oneself and trusting in one’s mentors.
Themes
Mole falls backward in surprise, praising Rat’s critical thinking skills and intellect. He insists Rat has to go somewhere his intellect will be appreciated. Rat cuts Mole off and tells him to ring the bell while he knocks on the door. Mole does as he’s told.
Rat keeps Mole focused on the task at hand: getting inside Badger’s house so they can be warm. Being praised for his intellect may be nice, but Rat shows that it’s important to give this kind of praise at the right time—otherwise, it’s meaningless.
Themes
