THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

The great circle of life and how we may be bound by its dictums, but it is for our own good

The theme of the great circle of life and how we may be bound by its dictums, but it is for our own good is the most important of the book. The author is trying to present life as a cycle that is constantly changing and the year as a Ferris wheel with August as its apex. Her intent seems to be to present to her young readers the idea that death is as much a part of life as living is and that it is not to be feared. It is a natural part of the cycle. She shows these.......

Change or Metamorphosis

The theme of change or metamorphosis is an especially prevalent theme. It begins with the Toad, Winnie’s first friend. A toad begins as a tadpole and gradually grows into a body with four legs. So it is a good symbol for the idea of change. It is always present as well wherever Winnie goes as a reminder to the reader that Winnie herself is experiencing a powerful metamorphosis in the first week of August in her tenth year. She begins as a .......

Greed

The theme of greed is a theme that is represented in the character of the Man in the Yellow Suit. He is the typical villain who uses the good characters to further his own plans for financial gain. He understands the consequences of immortality, but doesn’t care. His greed makes.........

The ability to understand the right thing to do and to act upon it, even if it is not the popular choice

Doing the right thing and making the right choice is another theme of importance. Many of the characters must make choices in the face of possible condemnation, because it is the right thing to do. Jesse must prevent Winnie from drinking from.......

Moral Judgment and Values

Tied up very closely with the previous theme is that of moral judgment and values. All of us, at one time or another in our lives must make moral judgments, decisions based upon what we perceive to be God’s law as opposed to man’s law. For example, if we protest abortion even though it’s.......

Love

The last theme is that of love. Behind the actions of all the characters except the Man in the Yellow Suit is a deep-seated love for their families, their friends, and most importantly, humanity. The Tucks could easily have revealed the secret of the spring and profited from it, but chose.......

AUTHOR’S STYLE

The author’s style is to present this story as a fantasy and yet to tell it in such a realistic way, that it seems possible. Winnie’s grandmother talks about elves and there are references to witchcraft. The Toad seems to have almost human qualities and the idea of immortality is in and of itself in.......

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; detailed analysis of the use of foreshadowing and irony; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.

Privacy Policy
All Content Copyright©TheBestNotes. All Rights Reserved.
No further distribution without written consent.
201 Users Online | This page has been viewed 2158 times
This page was last updated on 5/28/2008 4:38:18 PM