As Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad enjoy their lives along an English river, the narration regularly offers asides telling readers that the way the animals behave is guided by “animal etiquette,” or agreed-upon ways that animals should interact with one another in their riverside society. Manners, whether they be related to animal etiquette or more human concerns (such as being modest about one’s wealth or apologizing when one has done something offensive) are a major concern in the novel. Indeed, much of Mole, Rat, and Badger’s intervention when Toad becomes dangerously obsessed with cars focuses on teaching Toad to use his manners and think of others before he thinks of himself. In this way, The Wind in the Willows is an exploration of how and why manners matter, and what the consequences are of not using one’s manners. The novel suggests that manners and proper conduct exist to create a society where things function smoothly—and in order for this to happen, members of society must alter their behavior and fall in line with what’s considered appropriate. Moreover, if a person or animal doesn’t adhere to proper conduct, they may face grave consequences.
Manners are important for the animals of the novel, because being polite and adhering to proper conduct (as well as recognizing one’s own improper behavior and apologizing for it) helps others feel comfortable. In this sense, the novel frames manners as being a way to show respect, kindness, and compassion for one’s companions. Early on in the book, Mole learns how to navigate life on the river. During Mole’s first picnic with Rat, Otter appears out of the river suddenly—and then disappears just as suddenly. The narrator notes at this point that it’s against animal etiquette to ask about another animal’s sudden appearance or disappearance, so although Mole is curious as to where Otter went, he knows he can’t politely ask Rat about him. And because Mole doesn’t break animal etiquette and ask, this allows the rest of the outing to proceed relatively smoothly, and it results in Rat inviting Mole to stay with him. In addition, the novel suggests that apologizing and making amends for misdeeds are also important parts of social etiquette. Mole, for one, makes several mistakes: trying to take the oars from Rat and row before he knows how, for instance, or venturing into the Wild Wood on his own despite being warned against doing so. In each case, Mole apologizes profusely and admits he was wrong. Apologizing allows him to preserve his friendship with Rat and teaches him how to behave in the future.
Toad, on the other hand, has bad manners and a remorseless attitude that damage his friendships, his reputation, and even his livelihood. Early on, Toad is characterized as conceited: within minutes of meeting Mole for the first time, Toad boasts about how grand his house is. His unwillingness to downplay what his money enables him to buy and do is something the novel frames as impolite, especially since Toad forces his friends to join him in whatever expensive hobby he’s recently picked up. Toad’s behavior turns him into someone his friends have to contain and look after rather than someone they respect and genuinely enjoy being around. In this way, his impropriety prevents him from being treated as an equal or taken seriously, since he won’t show his friends the same politeness and respect that they show him. Things come to a head when Toad discovers cars, something that the novel frames as a symbol of Toad’s selfishness, conceit, and bad manners. Toad is described as a terrible driver specifically because he doesn’t care about others: he injures (or threatens to injure) passersby, is rude to police who try to reprimand him, and thinks only of his own pleasure and amusement as he drives. Good manners, the novel suggests, means thinking of others before oneself—and because Toad is unable to do this, all aspects of his life suffer.
The novel suggests that there will always be consequences for those, like Toad, who behave badly. Toad endures personal suffering and severe punishment for his actions: he’s hospitalized multiple times as the result of his car accidents, and he’s eventually sentenced to 20 years in prison for stealing a car and driving recklessly—essentially, for not using his manners on the road. When he later escapes from prison and embarks on a wild journey home, Toad’s bad manners haunt him and make his journey difficult at every turn. For instance, when Toad insults a woman who’s giving him a ride on a barge, she throws Toad in the water. Later, when people pick him up and offer to take him to town in the very car Toad went to prison for stealing, he tries to steal it again—which results in Toad driving the car into a pond, being pursued by policemen, and running right into the rushing river. And when Rat rescues him, Toad has to face another serious consequence of his actions: weasels, stoats, and ferrets from the Wild Wood no longer respect him, so they’ve taken over Toad Hall and have no plans to give it back. Toad’s poor manners, then, result not just in him being jailed and disappointing his friends—for a time, they also result in him being kicked out of his own home.
While Toad is an extreme case, the novel suggests that everyone will suffer consequences of some sort for poor manners. For instance, when Mole jealously tries to take over rowing from Rat, he capsizes the boat—something that instantly teaches him not to be selfish and envious. And when he enters the Wild Wood alone, his terrifying experience of being harassed by sinister animals is another effective consequence: Mole never enters the Wild Wood alone again. Mole is, in this sense, framed as someone readers should emulate, as he takes manners seriously and cares about how his actions affect other people. Most importantly, he learns from the consequences of not being polite or not following proper conduct the first time, which is the most surefire way to avoid the kind of serious ramifications that Toad suffers.
Related Themes from Other Texts
Manners, Conduct, and Consequences ThemeTracker
Manners, Conduct, and Consequences Quotes in The Wind in the Willows
“Ratty, my generous friend! I am very sorry indeed for my foolish and ungrateful conduct. My heart quite fails me when I think how I might have lost that beautiful luncheon basket. Indeed, I have been a complete ass, and I know it. Will you overlook it this once and forgive me, and let things go on as before?”
“That’s all right, bless you!”
“Finest house on the whole river,” cried Toad boisterously. “Or anywhere else, for that matter,” he could not help adding.
Here the Rat nudged the Mole. Unfortunately the Toad saw him do it, and turned very red. Then Toad burst out laughing. “All right, Ratty,” he said. “It’s only my way, you know. And it’s not such a very bad house, is it? You know you rather like it yourself.”
“What dust clouds shall spring up behind me as I speed on my reckless way! What carts I shall fling carelessly into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! Horrid little carts—common carts—canary-coloured carts!”
Such a rich chapter it had been, when one came to look back on it all! With illustrations so numerous and so very highly coloured! The pageant of the river bank had marched steadily along, unfolding itself in scene-pictures that succeeded each other in stately procession. Purple loosestrife arrived early, shaking luxuriant tangled locks along the edge of the mirror whence its own face laughed back at it. Willow-herb, tender and wistful, like a pink sunset cloud, was not slow to follow. Comfrey, the purple hand-in-hand with the white, crept forth to take its place in the line […]
There was plenty to talk about on those short winter days when the animals found themselves round the fire; still, the Mole had a good deal of spare time on his hands, and so one afternoon, when the Rat in his armchair before the blaze was alternately dozing and trying over rhymes that wouldn’t fit, he formed the resolution to go out by himself and explore the Wild Wood, and perhaps strike up and acquaintance with Mr Badger.
The Badger did not mind that sort of thing at all, nor did he take any notice of elbows on the table, or everybody speaking at once. As he did not go into Society himself, he had got an idea that these things belonged to the things that didn’t really matter. (We know of course that he was wrong, and took too narrow a view; because they do matter very much, though it would take too long to explain why.)
His two friends assented, quite understanding his point. No animal, according to the rules of animal-etiquette, is ever expected to do anything strenuous, or heroic, or even moderately active during the off-season of winter.
The Rat said little or nothing, only taking care that each guest had what he wanted, and plenty of it, and that Mole had no trouble or anxiety about anything.
“You’ve disregarded all the warnings we’ve given you, you’ve gone on squandering the money your father left you, and you’re getting us animals a bad name in the district by your furious driving and your smashes and your rows with the police. Independence is all very well, but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves beyond a certain limit; and that limit you’ve reached.”
“Toad, I want you solemnly to repeat, before your friends here, what you fully admitted to me in the smoking-room just now. First, you are sorry for what you’ve done, and you see the folly of it all?”
There was a long, long pause. Toad looked desperately this way and that, while the other animals waited in grave silence. At last, he spoke.
“No!” he said, a little sullenly, but stoutly; “I’m not sorry. And it wasn’t folly at all! It was simply glorious!”
Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns […]
“But look here! You wouldn’t surely have Mr Toad, of Toad Hall, going about the country disguised as a washerwoman!”
“Then you can stop here as a Toad,” replied the girl with much spirit. “I suppose you want to go off in a coach-and-four!”
Honest Toad was always ready to admit himself in the wrong. “You are a good, kind, clever girl,” he said, “and I am indeed a proud and a stupid toad.”
To his horror he recollected that he had left both coat and waistcoat behind him in his cell, and with them his pocket-book, money, keys, watch, matches, pencilcase—all that makes life worth living, all that distinguishes the many-pocketed animal, the lord of creation, from the inferior one-pocketed or two-pocketed productions that hop or trip about permissively, unequipped for the real contest.
He got so puffed up with conceit that he made up a song as he walked in praise of himself, and sang it at the top of his voice, though there was no one to hear it but him. It was perhaps the most conceited song that any animal ever composed.
“Now, Toady, I don’t want to give you pain, after all you’ve been through already; but, seriously, don’t you see what an awful ass you’ve been making of yourself? On your own admission you have been handcuffed, imprisoned, starved, chased, terrified out of your life, insulted, jeered at, and ignominiously flung into the water—by a woman, too! Where’s the amusement in that? Where does the fun come in? And all because you must needs go and steal a motor car.”
“Well, what did I tell you?” said the Rat very crossly. “And, now, look here! See what you’ve been and done! Lost me my boat that I was so fond of, that’s what you’ve done! And simply ruined that nice suit of clothes that I lent you! Really, Toad, of all the trying animals—I wonder how you manage to keep any friends at all!”
“You don’t deserve to have such true and loyal friends, Toad, you don’t, really. Some day, when it’s too late, you’ll be sorry you didn’t value them more while you had them!”
“I’m an ungrateful beast, I know,” sobbed Toad, shedding bitter tears. “Let me go out and find them, out into the cold, dark night, and share their hardships, and try to prove by—hold on a bit! Surely I heard the chink of dishes on a tray! Supper’s here at last, hooray!”
A fine idea had occurred to him while he was talking. He would write the invitations; and he would take care to mention the leading part he had taken in the fight, and how he had laid the Chief Weasel flat; and he would hint at his adventures, and what a career of his triumph he had to tell about; and on the flyleaf he would set out a sort of programme of entertainment for the evening— […]
Otter […] threw his arm round Toad’s neck, and tried to take him round the room in triumphal progress; but Toad, in a mild way, was rather snubby to him, remarking gently, as he disengaged himself, “Badger’s was the mastermind; the Mole and the Water Rat bore the brunt of the fighting; I merely served in the ranks and did little or nothing.”
