Tuck Everlasting Essay

Tuck Everlasting

Of the three frequently recurring references found within Natalie Babbitt's engaging children's novella, Tuck Everlasting, -- which includes the wheel of life, the toad, and the music box -- the references to the wheel of life prove the most significant. The wheel of life is essentially a motif that the author uses throughout this work to underscore the cyclical nature of life itself. All life has a beginning and an ending. In many instances, the ending of one life merely is followed by the beginning of another, which is in itself an endless repeating cycle. By referring to this process as a wheel of life, the author is able to reinforce this notion to a childhood audience. Therefore, she begins the tale with a references to the wheel of life at its height -- in summer, when thinking are alive -- and actually ends the tale when the wheel of life is at its nadir -- by showing Winnie's grave. The constant references to this wheel of life that occur between the aforementioned pair, such as when Mr. Tuck explain to Winnie about this great life cycle and his family's exclusion from it, merely underscore the fact that this motif is the principle theme of the book, and that this novella ultimately strives to teach young people about life's enduring cycle.The references to the toad within this book serve to corroborate the primary motif of the wheel of life. These references to this creature are demonstrative of the fact that all creatures go through life's cycle. This reason is why it is so important that the book begins with Winnie telling the toad about how bored she is and that she may very well run away to find excitement. Furthermore, there are additional references to the toad when Winnie comes to understand the cycle of life after extensively discussing the subject with Mr. Tuck. At this point toads are referenced to aid in Winnie's understanding of the life cycle, as the following quotation, in which Mr. Tuck is explaining life's cycle to….....