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...
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