Summary
Themes
“Everything's a wheel, turning and turning, never stopping. The frogs is part of it, and the bugs, and the fish, and the wood thrush, too. And people. But never the same ones. Always coming in new, always growing and changing, and always moving on. That's the way it's supposed to be. That's the way it is”
Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt, 1975, p. 61
Death & Immortality
The Tucks are forever frozen in time, never aging, but the world around them changes. They will never get to live life out, because they are stuck. One example was the story of Miles Tuck. His wife and children continued to age, but he never changed. They eventually left him and lived out their lives. Even though Miles will live forever and never age, he can’t really experience life. Winnie is another example of this theme, she chooses to live a life were she will eventually die. She could have had the spring water and lived forever as a 17 year old girl, but realizes that immortality is not a natural part of life. Immortally may seem ideal, but never aging, means never being able to fully be a part of the world you live in as it keeps moving.
Circle of Life
In the story there is a toad that Winnie talks about. The toad eventually grows older and represents the natural progression of life in the story. Winnie, like the Toad, is changing and this starts that evening in the August of 1881. She starts to learn about life and what it means and has to decide if she wants to live forever. Ultimately Winnie chooses to live her life out and that death is not something you should fear. Death is part of the circle of life.
Love, Family, & Friendship
Winnie’s own family is barely mentioned in the story. They are strict and unyielding in how they expect Winnie to act. Winnie loves her family, but runs away from home to find herself. She meets the Tuck family, who are opposite of her own. She finds herself falling in love with the family and the youngest Tuck. She also forms a friendship with them. During the entire story all of the characters showcase love for family and love for friendship. There are themes about right from wrong and how far you are willing to go for your family and friends. Most of the characters showcase levels of compassion for the people in their lives and their situations.