The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows (published in 1908) by Kenneth Grahame is a children’s fictional novel set in England during the early 20th century. This allegory from the stimulus booklet evokes feelings of magic and adventure but also feelings of reflection as we relate the actions of Ratty, Mole and Toad to our lives.Grahame evokes an imaginative journey within the mind of the reader as he questions "Which journey's do we take that we really want to experience?" Kenneth Grahame conveys this idea through Mole who is being forced to take Ratty's journey instead of his own. This text broadens our understanding of the world today in that it helps us to undertsand the complex interactions between people.

The major themes I discovered during this extract from the “Wind in the Willows” were social classes and the importance of friendship. Toad is an aristocrat and believes he is far more superior and elegant then Ratty and Mole. Toad uses his social power to control his friend’s decisions, however in doing so his friends turn their hearts against him. Grahame shows how pride can compete and destroy friendships if it is allowed. We need our friends to be with us as we travel on the journeys of our lives because we can share our enjoyment with others.

Grahame uses symbolism and imagery to stimulate the imagination of the reader. The gypsy caravan which is introduced to the story in the first paragraph creates imaginative thoughts as it represents traveling to unknown lands with strange and mysterious people.

Kenneth describes the gypsy caravan with bright colors “canary-yellow picked out with green and red wheels”. These colors symbolize fun and adventure which in turn creates an imaginative world for children that is magical and exciting.

An imaginative journey is created in the characters minds through the use of imagery as they eagerly anticipate their physical journey. Toad is full of excitement and anticipation as he looks forward to his adventure into the unknown “The open road, the dusty highway, the heath, the common, the hedgerows, the rolling downs! Camps, villages, town’s cities”. This vivid description of what he anticipates creates imagery in the minds of the audience allowing them to enter the imaginative realm of Toads journey.

In this extract Kenneth Grahame creates exaggeration within the characters to effectively fuel the imagination of the audience. The audience is sent on an imaginative journey as they picture the different facial expressions, changing body language and personalities of the characters. For example “The rat