Tuck Everlasting By Natalie Babbitt: Character Analysis

The characters in the novel, Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, experienced many trials and tribulations throughout the story. One lesson learned in this story was love is powerful. Mae Tuck love Winnie so much, that she killed the man in the yellow suit for her. Winnie love her toad so much, that she give her only bottle of water from the spring to the toad. Jesse love Winnie very much, that he tells Winnie that he wants to be with her forever. When analyzing the text, a deeper understanding of the theme was revealed.

In the novel, Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, the theme love is powerful, is play out amongst the characters in many interesting ways. Mae Tuck loves Winnie very much. According to the text, Tuck Everlasting, on page

100, it states “ But Mae's face was dark red. "Not Winnie!" she said between clenched teeth. "You ain't going to do a thing like that to Winnie. And you ain't going to give out the secret." Her strong arms swung the shotgun round her head, like a wheel. The man in the yellow suit jerked away, but it was too late. With a dull cracking sound, the stock of the shotgun smashed into the back of his skull. He dropped like a tree, his face surprised, his eyes wide open.” With that smack, the man in the yellow suit died.

Mae love Winnie and doesn’t want the man in the yellow suit to hurt Winnie. She did somethings she had to be hanged for to protect Winnie. Winnie love her toad. On page 132 of Tuck Everlasting, it states “ It's my toad," Winnie told him. "So you'd better leave it alone." And then, on an impulse, she turned and ran

into the cottage, up to her room, to the bureau drawer where she had hidden Jesse's bottle—the bottle of water from the spring.

In a moment she was back again. The toad still squatted where she had dropped it, the dog still waited at the fence. Winnie pulled out the cork from the mouth of the bottle, and kneeling, she poured the precious water, very slowly and carefully, over the toad.” This tells me that Winnie give her only bottle of water from the spring to the toad. Winnie love her toad and wants her toad to be safe forever. Jesse Tuck love Winnie. As stated on page 71-72 of Tuck Everlasting, “Well then, listen." He knelt beside her, his curls tumbled and his eyes wide. "I been thinking it over. Pa's right about you having to keep the secret. It's not hard to see why. But the thing is, you knowing about the water already, and living right next to it so's you could go there any time, well, listen, how'd it be if you was to wait till you're seventeen, same age as me—heck, that's only six years off—and then you could go and drink some, and then you could go away with me! We could get married, even. That'd be pretty good, wouldn't it! We could have a grand old time, go all around the world, see everything.

Listen, Ma and Pa and Miles, they don't know how to enjoy it, what we got. Why, heck, Winnie, life's to enjoy yourself, isn't it? What else is it good for? That's what I say. And you and me, we could have a good time that never, never stopped. Wouldn't that be something?" This tells me that Jesse love Winnie and wants her to drink from the spring, so they can be together forever. Jesse wants to travel the world with Winnie. While analyzing the story, the theme love is powerful is shown in many different ways that interested me.

After reading the story, Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, the characters showed many ways that love is powerful. Mae Tuck killed the man in the yellow suit because she loves Winnie. The man in the yellow suit is hurting Winnie. Winnie give her bottle of water from the spring that Jesse give her for the toad. She was protecting the toad from the dog. Jesse told Winnie he loves her and wants to be with her forever. All these things the character experienced show love is powerful.