Winnie Foster's Freedom: Symbolized by a Toad - Essay Sample

Introduction

The toad signifies Winnie's Freedom. In the novel, Winnie tells the toad her desires to be independent and free. Later, she decides not to drink the water that would grant her immortality given to her by Jesse but pours it on the toad so that it might be free from harm and live forever. Through this act, Winnie partially and symbolically transferred her freedom to the toad while deciding to lead a normal life.

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Why do you think the author told the audience Winnie Foster's age?

The audience meets Winnie when she's ten and later realizes that she died at age 78. The author told the audience of Winnie's age to affirm that she lived a normal life and did not live forever, unlike the Tucks.

Do you think that Winnie Foster was kidnapped by the Tucks?

Even though initially it could appear so, Winnie Foster was not kidnapped by the Tucks since she was in her adventure of freedom. In fact, she enjoyed their company and showed interest in the pond’s water and its ensuing immortality.

Do you think that Winnie Foster learned a lesson from her adventures in the woods?

Winnie Foster learned that life involves a lot of sacrifices and that her original perception of freedom was flawed. She had to give up a lot for the freedom she sought. While Winnie thought that freedom was all about having something interesting that is all hers, she learns that it involves tough choices and dealing with challenging situations. She has to decide whether to live mortally or immortally and has to witness and deal with a murder case.

Why do you think that Winnie never went back to drink the water to make her live forever?

Winnie might have realized that immortal life has its own challenges and that the circle of life is critical and powerful in experiencing its real meaning. Jesse looked like a 17-year-old but was over 100 years. In this, the meaning of life is lost. The Tucks live an unhappy life and wishes to die, but they cannot.

Do you believe that Winnie shared her secret about the everlasting water with anybody else?

It is highly likely that Winnie did not share her secret about the pond's water with anybody else and that the secret remained with the Tucks. This is evident in the fact that nobody made an attempt to find the water, and nobody knew about the pond even after the destruction of the woods.

Why did the Tucks decide to come back and look for Winnie after such a long time?

The Tucks came back looking for Winnie to confirm whether she drunk the water of life that Jesse gave her so as to marry her to Jesse. This could have granted her immortal life, and she could still be young even if she was in her late 70s. Her death confirms that she chose not to drink it.

Why do you believe that Winnie's grandmother believed the sound from the music box was elves?

Winnie’s grandmother believed that the sound from the music box was of elves because it is always faint with tickling little melody and always come from woods. Besides, she has been hearing the same sound for years.

What do you believe the man in the yellow suit represents in this story?

The man in the yellow suit with a black hat represents an evil that aims at destroying the world for personal gain. He does not care about the Tucks, boasts that the woods is now his, and wants to use it for personal financial gains having known the relevance of the pond water. The color of his attire is a peculiar aspect that symbolizes that he is a bad guy and a coward.

Do you think the Tuck’s will ever return to TreeGap now that they know Winnie is gone?

It is unlikely that the Tucks will ever return to TreeGap, given that Winnie is dead, and the woods have been destroyed. There is nothing of value that will attract them to the place.

10 Background Questions

Winnie Foster wanted to be by herself for once and told the toad that she would run away. Has there ever been a time in your life that you were so upset you wanted to run away?

Sometimes the desire for independence and more freedom, especially when living with strict parents, might trigger the need to run away. However, this has not been the case for me. Surrounded by a caring family, I have always believed that I have all I need for a satisfying life.

The Tuck’s drank water that caused them to live forever. Did these characters make you want to drink the water or stay away from it?

The concept of living forever and having to overcome the fear of death is sufficient to generate the thirst for drinking the water. However, the life that the Tucks' had, how they regretted their choices, and their desire for the regular life cycle would make me not to drink the water just like Winnie.

Winnie was only ten years old in this story and had quite an adventure with the Tucks. How would you have reacted as a parent to Winnie's adventures?

As a parent of Winnie, I would have warned her to avoid walking in the woods by herself. Additionally, I would adopt less strict measures to ensure that she is well acquainted with her environment. Occasional outings in the woods and other places would make her feel cared for and would be less likely to walk out by herself.

Winnie talked to the Toad often about her life problems. Have you ever had a pet that you talked to about your life?

I have a cat pet named Fred. Sometimes life can be so problematic and lonely that pets become a source of comfort and refuge. Talking with pets even if they do not respond is be relieving at times.

Winnie didn’t believe that the Tuck’s were good people at first because they kidnapped her. Have you ever met someone that you thought was a bad person but turned out to be good?

Just like Winnie's adventure with the Tucks, I have made some friends despite having an initial feeling that they are bad. I met someone who could barely talk to anyone, especially strangers, and always stayed in isolation. With the perception that bad people keep to themselves and dislike mutual interactions, I thought he was a bad person. Through consistent encounters, I came to realize that he had social issues and, in fact, needed help.

The Tuck’s went back to TreeGap to see if they could find Winnie. Have you ever only returned to another place for a specific memory?

I have returned to a place for a specific memory. I had met a friend in a certain city I had visited. Three years later, I opted to return to the place to find him.

Winnie's mom seemed to be overprotective of her daughter. Do you believe this was the right way to parent, or should she have taken a different approach to parenting?

Being too strict on children might be their breaking point. They might feel unloved and oppressed to the point that they start harboring abnormal thoughts, just like in the case of Winnie. Instead of being overprotective, Winnie's mother needed to adopt a more loving and supportive approach, which allows the daughter to interact with her environment while fostering appropriate behavior.

The man in the yellow suit was persuasive to get what he wanted. Have you ever tried to manipulate someone to get what you wanted?

Manipulating people to get what you want is a common experience. In such cases, people do not lack reasons to support their arguments even if what they want is unethical. One such scenario is when I convinced my parents to buy me a piano. Although this meant a significant financial stretch to them, I managed to persuade them.

The water fountain of everlasting magic was in the woods where Winnie lived, and they had no idea. Have you ever found something in your backyard that you questioned how long it had been there before you saw it?

There is nothing unconventional that I found in my yard. Nonetheless, I have heard of cases where people find secret underground rooms, tunnels, and abandoned belongings within their houses and yards. It is always appropriate to assess your environment and ensure that there is nothing strange that might land you into problems.

The Tuck’s had lived for over a hundred years and lost his family because of his new everlasting magic. Do you think that you would create new lives each time or just continue the life that you once knew?

I would choose to live the life that I once knew rather than creating new lives. Just like in the case of Tuck’s, new lives always come with several challenges that one has no time to realize and plan for. Living the life that you know creates room for living a life that is socially acceptable and allows for making improvements where necessary.

Work Cited

Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck everlasting. Macmillan, 2015.