Title
Tuck Everlasting
Author
Natalie Babbitt
Date Published
1975
Meaning of the Title
It
refers to the family in the story who accidentally drink from a spring that makes
them immortal.
Setting
Treegap, the Wood, and the Tucks cottage
in 1880 and 1950
Protagonists
Winnie Foster and the Tuck family
Antagonist
The Man in the Yellow Suit and the human desire
to live forever.
Mood
Overall, the mood is one of the triumph of the human spirit. Despite several setbacks, the Tucks are saved and
Winnie goes home a better person. There are moments of darkness when the Man in the Yellow Suit makes
threatening demands on the Fosters and the Tucks, but the desire of the Tucks to save the world from the
consequences of eternal life eliminate the darkness the Man brings with him.
Point of View
Third person omniscient
Tense
This story is written in the past tense since the author tells it from an omniscient perspective.
Rising Action
It begins right after the Prologue and continues through the escape of Mae Tuck from prison.
Exposition
The author tells us the story of Winnie Foster who meets the Tuck family and discovers they are going to live
forever. When their secret threatens to be revealed, Winnie and the family must make moral choices to save the
world.
Climax
Mae Tuck escapes from prison with Winnie’s help and the secret of the spring is safe.
Outcome
Winnie chooses to live a natural life and not drink the spring water or pursue her love for Jesse. The town
bulldozes the giant ash tree after an electrical storm and in the process hide the spring forever. The Tucks go on
forever in search of meaning in their lives.
Major Themes
The circle of life, metamorphosis, greed, doing what’s right, moral judgment, love.