An Analysis of the Plot Structure in The Wind in the Willows

 

Grahame essentially built his 1908 classic novel from a series of short stories. Authors such as Charles Dickens built their works in a similar way, with the chapters as a series of short stories. Nevertheless it does sum to a wonderful plot, its arc built from escalating problems and solutions (our pancake stack!). The big problem (of the dangerous Wild Wood) is stated at the start and not solved until the end. All four characters have individual “points of no return.” Each chapter follows an arc of tension to release. 

 

Let’s take a look at Grahame’s plot.

 

Warning: plot spoilers are included. If you would rather read the book first skip ahead to the full text (after chapter four).
 

Scene and setting:

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We meet Mole who changes his life in a hurry, choosing to quit his spring clearing task and leave his home. This is the first ‘point of change’ for Mole. Soon we meet Rat. We are introduced to the calm scenic world of River Bank and its creatures. Life is easy! Their biggest problems are capsizing boats and carrying extra large picnic baskets. How bucolic! How dreamy! Such peace!
 

The lurking big problem (not solved until the climax) is stated and the theme emerges:

Ratty explains that the Wild Wood is a dangerous place, yet keen not to alarm Mole, he does not expand on the problem. The theme of friendship emerges as the Rat shows protection, compassion and benevolence toward his new friend, Mole.

 

Major problem in chapter two:

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Rat is forced to leave the safety of his beloved home for a protracted period of time. He views it as his duty as a friend to accompany Mole on an impulsive road trip with his manipulative friend, Toad. In line with the theme, Rat chooses chivalrous friendship to Mole over his own comfort. After an altercation with a motor car (the new invention of the era) the caravan is wrecked. The three friends are stranded far from home and their bonds of friendship are thus challenged with adversity.

 

Instead of trying to clean up his mess or report the driver to the police, Toad  becomes obsessed with the idea of buying a car. Rat and Mole must sort out both the broken cart and the horse before finding their own way home on foot. Thus, the thesis is challenged with respect to Toad - Can a manipulative and selfish person be a friend? What does one owe a friend who behaves so very badly?

 

Major Problem in chapter three:

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Friendship and its boundaries are tested again when Mole, against Rat’s advice, runs off on a cold wintry night to the Wild Woods.  Mole has no desire to anger his good friend Rat, yet he feels frustrated in his desire to seek Mr. Badger’s home. Alone, the little animal is in mortal danger. Rat faces his toughest ‘point of no return’ moment and again chooses chivalrous friendship.

 

Rat, acting with great bravery, selects multiple weapons and heads into the Wild Wood at quick pace, intending to save his little friend - yet he can only hope that he is still alive. On finding Mole, together they then face potentially freezing to death in falling snow. If the pair fail to find Badger’s home fast enough, they won’t make it. Even as Rat continues to save Mole against increasingly desperate odds, his little friend is of little help.

 

Intermediate Problems:

 

Chapter four:

 

• At Badger's home they hear of Toad smashing up seven expensive motor cars and being in hospital three times. As it is winter, an intervention is planned for the summer weather. 

 

• Some lost hedgehog children are fed and returned home, showing Badger’s kindness and community role in the Wild Woods.

 

• The Otter finds Rat and Mole because the River Bank community is worried about their disappearance. This shows how they are valued by their River Bank community.

 

Chapter five: 

 

Rat and Mole look for and find Mole’s home, but there isn’t much food. Rat gives the field mice carolers money to buy food and join them for a feast at Mole End.

 

Chapter six: 

 

Badger announces that it is time to intervene in Toad’s life. Toad at first pretends to agree that he should be more sensible and stay away from motor cars. Yet, in an abrupt turn, Toad defies Badger. The friends choose to incarcerate Toad within his Toad Hall chambers. Later, with the kindly Rat on care duty, Toad feigns a mortal illness. As Rat panics, Toad finds a way to escape.

 

Chapter seven: 

 

The story returns to ordinary life at River Bank. Otter’s youngster Portly is missing. Rat and Mole go in their rowing boat to seek him. All seems lost, yet they discover him being cared for by a kindly demi-god pan piper and they return the child safe and sound.

 

Major problem in chapter eight:

 

Toad, after stealing a motor car, has landed himself in gaol for twenty years! He must escape from a dark dungeon with the help of new friends. His trademark manipulations are often challenged by his new good-hearted accomplices. 

 

Major problem in chapter nine: 

 

Rat meets a charming seafaring rat who tells him irresistible tales of adventures aboard coastal trading ships. Spellbound, in a trance, he almost leaves his beloved River Bank. In a wonderful act of role reversal, Mole acts as the more sensible fellow. He saves Rat from making an impulsive and costly mistake, willing to physically prevent his good friend from leaving.

 

A series of problems in chapter ten adds drama and tension: 

 

Toad is free after his grand gaol escape, yet a long way from home and without money. Still dressed as a washer woman, he cons his way onto a barge moving in the direction of Toad Hall. However, after arguing with the barge woman, he steals her horse and sells it to a gypsy. A passing motorist soon takes pity on Toad and he steals their car too, crashing it into a muddy pond. He then runs (again) from the police… only to have the good fortune to find the very animal he chose to run away from in the first place - the good natured Rat.

 

 

The big solution in chapters eleven and twelve (climax):

 

In chapter eleven Toad is willing to show humility, taking a well earned ear-bashing from Rat. Toad soon learns that the vile creatures of the Wild Wood have taken over his home, Toad Hall. The four original friends must band together to save it. At last, thesis and anti-thesis find a way to synergise. Toad’s appalling antics are compared to the wanton theft, violence and vandalism of the Wild Wooder invaders - he’s bad, but they’re much, much worse! Then, in chapter twelve the friends ultimately battle to reclaim Toad Hall and reaffirm their lifelong bond of friendship. 

 

Resolution:

 

Grahame’s novel then resolves quickly, as all stories must once the tension is gone. Toad attempts to make amends, sending fine gifts to those who helped him escape from gaol. The Wild Wood is tamed and the four friends become local legends, whose heroic tales are told to the next generation.

 

 

Learning Exercises:

 

The story arc has, after Grahame’s time, been summed to a simplified form that works well for novels and movie scripts. Thus, some parts will match modern standards for plots and others won’t. Yet this was published in 1908, in a time of less standardisation and greater literary freedom.  Let’s go through this plot bit by bit, using it as an example for building your own story plot. 

 

Answer the questions in bold font. In this exercise you are not writing your story, yet making a plan with notes. Once a story has its “mechanics’ sorted out, it will neatly form a wonderful tale!

 

As a story opens, the characters and settings are established. The theme or ‘world view’ is often  stated by a secondary character. What is the theme of your story?  For Grahame, his theme was the enduring nature of friendship and bravery. Rat’s welcoming of Mole is friendly and generous. 

 

The big problem is stated; this cannot be solved until the end because it holds the story tension. Within that tension sits the ‘pancake stack’ of other problems and solutions (largely in other chapters).  What is the big problem to be solved? In Grahame’s novel it is the more dangerous inhabitants of the Wild Wood (such as the weasels).

 

There is a ‘point of no return’ when the world changes for the character(s). This can be called a catalyst for change. The adventure begins! What is the ‘point of no return’ in your story plot?  For Rat it was heading into the wintry Wild Woods with weapons to save Mole. 

 

The debate section is when the characters debate what to do about the big problem. Yes, the reader expects the heroes to choose to be heroic, however they also want to hear their thought process. Can you better show their moral compass? What will your characters debate? How do they choose to do the right thing? In Wind in the Willows, Mole and Rat debate the visit to Mr. Badger before Mole’s risky choice to go alone. Plus, there are other debates such as what to do about Toad’s dangerous behaviour. 

 

You will need to engineer three other major problems to solve before you tackle the big problem, plus any other ‘filler’ chapters also require problems to solve. This creates a more action packed series of ‘rising action’ chapters. What will your three big problems to solve be?

 

For Grahame it is:

 

• Mole running into the Wild Woods alone.

• Toad sentenced to twenty years in gaol.

• Rat almost leaves for a life on cargo ships. 

 

However he adds in other big problems such as the young Portly being missing.
 

Then the time comes to solve the big problem. How is this done? If you need anything extra to solve it, you can go back and edit the earlier story to insert it. This neatly foreshadows your big solution and makes you look far more clever! Always a good thing!  What is your big solution? Did you foreshadow it? Do you need to edit the earlier story plot to foreshadow it?

 

Resolution:

 

The story must resolve quickly once the tension is gone. Solve all of the problems in a way that feels emotionally satisfying for the reader. How will your story end well for your main characters? Grahame gives his characters a peaceful life and even Toad gains the respect he craves.