England Book Club: The Wind in the Willows – part 3
This week we’ll read the next two chapters of The Wind in the Willows (Chapter 5 – Dulce Domum and Chapter 6 – Mr. Toad).
In chapter 5, Mole returns to his home after being away for quite some time. At the beginning of the book, Mole called his home “duty and boredom,” but now, as the chapter title says, he calls it Sweet Home. (In Latin, Dulce means sweet and Domum means home).
In chapter 6, we get to know Mr. Toad a great deal better. Remember, Mr. Toad is a character than Book Magazine ranked as the 38th best character in the history of literature, so there’s definitely something about him that’s meant to stand out from Mole, Rat, or Mr. Badger.
Here’s the assignment:
- Why has Mole’s perspective of his home changed? What made it go from duty and boredom to Sweet Home? Most of you have probably never been away from home for a long period of time (and if you have, it was probably with the people that live in your home). Do you think 12 days away next summer, experiencing a foreign culture and being apart from family will change your perspective of home like it did for Mole? Why/How?
- What makes Toad such a unique character? Why does he stand apart from his friends? Has your impression of him changed since you met him earlier in the story? Why/How?
Each of these answers should take somewhere between 5-7 sentences.
Every student in our England group is required to participate. You must comment on this post with your thoughts, then come back and comment on what other people have said – you are required to make an effort to keep the conversation going by replying to at least 2 other students (more than just “I agree” or “you are right.” Give them reasons why you agree/disagree or what they said that was meaningful – make this a discussion).
Minooka TAP 
I think Moles perspective has changed because everything in his house isn’t good enough for him anymore. His house is now too small and dusty, and its not big like Mr. Toads house is. When Ratty and him arrived there he said there were no fancy meals, and there was hardley any food at all. Then Ratty helped him out a little bit and help him remember what it was like to live in his own home. I think my ideas sof my house will change when I get back because it will l ook different and smaller when I come back. It will look more Modern and not Old like Big Ben is. The food may taste weird to me at first too because I will be used to eating in England
A lot of things make Toad a unique character. For one he isn’t afraid to show or tell others of his ideas. Even if he messes up he will try again. For example the wagon broke and he still will ride in one if he sees one. I also think that he hasn’t changed very much. He is still an outgoing, and happy person. He will not tollerate anyone making fun of his ideas and he stands up for what he believes in. I thought his idea of a moveable cart was brilliant and so should have Ratty and Mole. I know I wouldn’t dout my friends.
I agree with you that Mole thinks his house is not good enough for him and Rat helps him remeber what is like to live in his own home.
I also agree with Dajanai, you did a good job explaining how Mole doesn’t think his house is good enough for him.
I agree with you on how Mole thinks his home is ot good enough for him and how Rat remined him of how being in his own home was good.
I agree that mole thinks he’s too good for his house now that he’s seen what expenses Mr. Toad has put into his home. It’s funny though how mole loves his home until he sees the homes that are bigger and better. When he sees those homes his respect for his home goes down the drain.
i agree with you brooklyn i think that mole thinks that he is to good for his new home because he had been living with rat and seen what conditions that mr toad had lived in
I agree on how Mole has changed his perspective of his house. Ever since he left his house, he has adapted to new environments.
I agree with you i think it did take him some time to realize that maby his home is for once in his mind good enough. I think that is definetly a good change.
That is a good point Mole does seem sad about his houses benefits.
I think at first Mole was a little emberrassed of his home, I think he thought Rat woulnt like it because it isnt as good as his home.
I agree with that he seems more clam about his home benefits more than anything.
I agree beacuse Mole realzies that his house deosn’t have to be extravagent for it to feel like home.
I do agree with you on how Mole hates his new house after he sees Toads. But Rat helps him through it and makes him love his house again.
Mole used to think his home was just a little shack that would always be there. Then he realized it was much more. It was his and he’d abandoned it. He invited rat in his house for dinner(thanks to rat) and he started to tell stories. That’s when he realized he had so many memories is because he took pride in his house and people respected that. I do think twelve days away will change my perspective on my home. They call it being homesick. You love your home but in your mind it will always be there with the people you love in it. You don’t think about the posistives, you bring out the negatives. When we’re in Europe we will actually see how much we need our home and how much comfort it brings.
I agree with you that he thinks that his hosue will always be there, but I think he really doesnt know what he has until its not there.
I agree. Mole now knows that no matter how small and dusty his house is, it’s his and he should be proud of it. 🙂
I agree with the fact that we will miss our homes when we are in England, and Whales. I missed my home when I was in Maine and thats in the country.
What makes Toad a unique character is the fact that he is careless and has no responsibilities. He seems to be rich but he spends it on motor cars and clothes that go with it. He also has another side, soft hearted and affectionate. It also says he’s easily converted or moved to one side. He stands apart from his friends because he is lazy, rich( more or less), but he is loosing money and has endless encounters with the police. His friends all care about him nad want the old toad back. In the beginning, I thought he was just crazy because he drives motor cars and burns money. Now I see that he’s really just misunderstood and needs some help because he resists to see that he’s wrong.I think with his friends help he will change.
I agree with you Brooklyn. Toad does spend his riches on to many things like motor cars and clothes that do go with the color of the car.
You are right Toad has lots of money but spends it on things that just make him popular, they are not nessesary.
I never really thought about Toad that way until you explained him. That really changed my mind about him! I like it!! 🙂
Me too. I never thought about Toad being that way. I guess when you think about how the author always describes him crashing and buying new cars one after another, you realize that Toad may actually be rich and just wants to be popular with a different side to him.
i agree with the statement he has anothere side thats soft hearted
I think the perspective of Mole changed of his home because he wasn’t use to the environment he was in while he was with Rat and Toad. He was use to being underground, nice and cozy. I think the reason it changed from an obligation and being bored most of the time, was because at first he had nothing to do. Now he has so much to do he hasn’t had a chance to just relax and sit back in his warm cozy home. Its not the same when you’re in someone else house then when you’re in own home. I absolutely think that I would think of my home different because when you are in someone else’s building /home you feel ok but you still have that deep feeling that you wish you were in your own bed at night
I agree. Mole had so many adventures with the new characters he has met during the story.
I agree with you. Mole is now more open minded because of the adventures he had and meeting Mr. Badger and then overcoming some of his fears. I think he has grown as a character and has learned to appreciate more of the things in his life.
I agree. Now that Mole is out of his home, there is much to do with his new friends. Before, all he did was clean and relax. I think that’s all he needs to do to notice what he missed.
What makes Toad a unique charaecter is he can have a different personality at any given time.One second he is nice, then the next second he is greedy and mean. What makes him stand out from his friends is that he is rich and he gets in alot of trouble and he liokes motor cars.He also likes to try things that he isnt good at,and he knows tha he is not good at it.To me the Toad did not change in any way beacause he still cares only about himself even if his friends tried to help him.But now Toad is going to jail for being so greedy and in to motor cars he had to take it.
I do think Toad has somewhat changed but I like how you said that he hasn’t changed because he’s greedy and only cares about himself. In that way, he hasn’t changed. It seems as though he is thick sculled because everyone is trying to tell him what he’s doing wrong but he is blind to the fact that he’s doing something wrong. Once he sees his wrongs he will have changed tremendously.
I wouldn’t say that he is greedy just selfish. He does not want everything in a way that makes him greedy, just thoughtless which makes him selfish in his actions. He does not listen to anyone and he does not think that he does anything wrong and to me that makes his selfish rather than greedy.
That is a good point I do agree that toad is greedy
i disagree some what that toad is greedy
I definately agree with you about the Toad personality thing, he is a rubixs cube, you turn it and there is another color.
I completely agree. And I honestly don’t think he will learn his lesson.
I think the reason Mole misses his home now more then before is because he has had enough excitment to make him content , I think he personally has had enough adventure for him so now he is finally ready to head back to his old life style . It’s kind of like getting back to school after summer vacation your bored at home so getting back to school is a nice change but pretty soon your wishing for summer again. I personally do not think I will have issues of being homesick while being overseas. I ‘m thinking this because I’ve been in Minooka for so long and I reallly just want to have a change. I will miss my family but not to the extremes, because I have took vacations with certian family members because my parents are divorced so I got over missing my parents at a young age.
To me Mr. Toad is an intresting chracter because he is very childish and has horrible judgement, but at the same time his heart seems to be in the right place . Also he is very outspoken which is a great trait to have .Over all to me he seems to take life as a joke , unlike Mole ,Rat , or Mr. Badger who usaully are serious that’s really the only difference why he stands out a bit more. I don’t think he has changed much other then he really shows in theese chapters he will stick up for what his heart tells him.
I agree with you he is outspoken and want to be heard, he does have pretty bad judgmen. and doesent take life that seriously.
I disagree on he doesn’t take life seriously. I thought he does just because he has money, and he thinks the world depends on it. He’s ungrateful, too.
I agree with you about how Mole’s anticipation to go home is a lot like us wanting to go back to school but then wanting summer back so desperatly after only a few days.
You are definetly right. Toad does have a good heart and I am sure he tries to do things with the best intentions , but once again he does not think of the consequences which makes him very childish and in a way selfish.
In my opinion Moles perspective of home has changed because he worked so hard on it for spring cleaning. When you work on something really hard, then lose it you want it back and you miss it.
I think that it went from duty and bordom to sweet home because he just realized now that he forgot all about his old residence.
I do think that being away from home for 2 weeks is going to change my perspective on it because I get home sick at the beginning of trips but I think I will do good. I have been away from my family for 2 weeks before but not that far away.
Toad is a uniqe character because he is so much different than Mole, Badger, and Rat. I picture him being more like a human than a toad. He is different than all the other characters because he is obviously rich, and doesnt follow animal like instincts. Like what toad drives a motor car(or should i say steals a motor car). Not to mention what kind of animal goes to jail.
I agree with you he is alot different and is more like a human then a toad,he is rivh and you are right not many animals go to jail.
I agree if you work on something then you leave it you will miss it. I think this is true for anything because if you care about something enough to work on it as hard as mole worked on his home you have to miss it. Other wise there is no point in working on it at all.
YES!! how can you work on something so hard and yet still not car. the only reason you do work hard is because you care. Right?
You are right, if you work on something you care about that you will miss it. It becomes a part of you and your life. I see my mom make our house more homy by decorating it and rearranging it and I love it and I know that she loves it because it is a part of expressing herself.
Mole has changes his views on his home. During the story, he had been away from his little home. There have been many things going on in his life that he can’t remember his tiny house. I think going on TAP will change my experience when I get home. Not seeing my family will change how I am when I get back. My family will also change knowing that I learned something.
Toad is a unique character. Since he was always a brave character. He usually stands apart since has different characteristics on the world around him. He used to be a new character to us and now he is one of the main characters.
i can agree when your away from home for long amounts of time that when you get back it’s just like….WOW!!!!!
I agree with that. When you get back in your house, and back to your comfort, you feel so relieved and relaxed, but happy about where you’ve been. I get happy that I can finally feel secure.
I agree on how you say toad is unique. He definitely stands out a lot from the rest of the characters of this novel. You never know what he is going to do next!
I think that moles prospictive of his home did drasticly change. When he first left his home he was stuck on the idea that his home wasent good enough, big enough or fancy enough. In returning however he was so excited to see his little tiny house again. His house suddnly became good enough. I think his out look changed because he was away from his house long enough that in seeing it again he realized that there is really no place like home, and maby even that know matter how big or small or fancy or not, home is sometimes the best place to be. Yes i definetly think my prospective will be different, because know matter how my house might seem now it will definetly be different. It will be different for me because sometimes i spend so much time with my family they can get annoying and i start to forget how important they are to me. How it will be different is that by the time i come back this place might even seem like a vacation, because i’ll have been away for a while. Toad is a unique character because he is not afraid to throw his idea’s out there, even though he might not have the best judgment in the book. He stand’s out, because he has a kind heart and in my opinion try’s to do the right thing (alway’s). I do not think he has really changed at all he tend’s to want his idea’s to be heard, he has his own voice and from what i can tell trys to use it, he speaks for him self and pretty much knows what he want’s.
1) I think moles perspective about his home changed because he was away from is home for awhile, and what ratty said to him. He was gone for so long he just wanted to be back home. I know when i go to England that yes i will miss my family and friends, but being in a interesting place like that i don’t think it would be such a problem. I don’t think i would get home sick after a few days because my parents are divorced and I am use to being away from one to another for a certain amount of time.
2) Toad is very different from the other characters. He is different in the way of him being selfish, but at the same time he stands up for what he is. Toad has good traits to him and bad. Through out the chapters i have not seen much change to Mr.Toad.
I agree with you on your reason why you think you won’t miss your family that much over in england
1) After being away from home for so long, Mole realizes that his simple, little house is as good as any. He said that it meant a lot to him, that it held some anchorage to Mole’s existence. Although, Mole doesn’t want to abandon his splendid new life with Rat. Mole now knows that his home will always be his home. It will always be there for him, no matter what. When we go to England, I will probably miss home a lot. But I do know that it is Home, and it will always be there for me to go back to.
2) Toad is a very unique “person” because he has two sides to him, and they are completely opposite of each other. One side of him is the rich, snobby, greedy Toad. The other side of Toad is very kind, soft-hearted, and affectionate. Toad stands out because he doesn’t really have any boundaries. He always takes his “hobbies” a little too far. Toad is basically rich, unlike his friends. All the characters seem to have some form of common sense, besides Toad. He has had numerous run-ins with the police, while his friends are fairly law-abiding. My opinion of him hasn’t really changed. He is still greedy and soart of crazy, with that little hint of softness to him. He probably will change his ways, though, as long as his friends stay by his side. 🙂
I agree with you about how you said home will be there for you no matter what.
1) I think the mole looks at his house differently now is because he got so used to rats nice things and nice house that he forgot about his house.This also maybe because he was away for so long and it was all dusty and there was little food for rat to eat after thier long journey.However in the begining of the story, mole was cleaning and he seemed bored so he went to find adventure but now that he is back home . Mole thinks it’s embarassing but rat keeps encouraging him that it’s better than he thinks it is. With ideas like that there gonna make a feast with so little food and that it will look better when you clean it up a bit.However I think I can relate to the mole because I went away from home for four days and I was really glad to be home because it was a really bad experience, but hopefully once I get back form England the outlook at my house would be different .Because I saw all these cool places then it just seems like home sweet home like how mole feels .
2)The toad is unique in many ways,he has a very active imagination but is also a little over the top.The toad also reminds me of a character in this movie I watched one time. They both have alot of money from mothers and fathers that they over spend and they are both punished by the ones they love for the mistakes they make with it.The toad also seems to me like he lives in his mind he does’t see the world around him and that is another factor that makes him unique .Because all the other characters seem like us but toad is just this crazy out of the blue character that you don’t often see in stories .The last thing that Ithink makes toad so different in comparison to the other characters is that he is the only one that interacts with humans. However he hasn’t built the best relationship with the people.
1.) I think Mole’s perspective on his orderly home has changed because he has ventured around a lot with Rat, who could care less on having a tidy house, and Rat, who traveled with Mole back to his “Dulce Domum” show the orderly critter how to let things go, and cange his insanely tidy ways. I think that about 2 weeks next summer will DEFINETLY change my perspective of home. I think this because learning the cultures of THE English people will show me how much different foreign life is from ours here in America.
2.) My perspective of Mr. Toad has not changed at all since we first met him in the story. He’s still the crazy little amphibean who loves the noise “poop-poop!”. From his adventures, he had led me to worry about what goes on inside his little head. For example, when he had crashed the carriage with Rat and Mole, they were worried while he was sitting in the driver’s seat having a jolly old time, talking about who knows what.
Joseph, I see what you mean when you talk about Mole’s busy life. I agree, there is too much going on for him to care about his humble abode. Also, it makes sense on how we will change when we see our families again after 12 days in England and Wales. Toad is quite a unique character indeed. Again, it would make sense on how he was once a whole new character to us, but is now like a little buddy right next to us.
Meghan, I also agree with you on what you said about Mole not having enough time to think about home. From his journies with Rat, carriage-crashinig with Toad, and camping out during a snowstorm with Badger seems like a logical reason to not be worrying about your home. It’s pretty true that Toad is a HUGE fool. I mean really, what complete fool would fall in love with something that goes, “poop-poop!”? He does have poor judgement and acts very childish. Ha, come to think of it, me and him don’t have much different from each other:)
I think Moles perspective of his home has changed because he missed it. It had been such a long time since he has seen his home.Now that Mole has been taught to let loose his old home doesnt seem like much of a chore anymore. Since Mole and Rat were out in the woods coming home from Badgers house and it had been such a long walk, Moles house was the first they came too and it was a relief. After walking so long and being hungry and tired it was like home sweet home to him. He had missed all of his stuff and forgotten what nice things he had. It was like he had taken them for granted and after not seeing them for so long he really missed all of it.
My perspective of my home might change because I will miss my family. I will appreciate all the hard work my familly puts in for me to do things like this.
Toad is very unique becuase he always finds a way to be sneeky about things. Toad always finds a way to get his way and to make people do what he asks. My perspective of Toad has definately changed because last time I saw Toad he seemed a little crazy. He seemed like he didnt know much of what he wanted, and now it is interesting to see him go to extreme leagths to get what he wants.
Think he missed his home as well but i dont belive he changed just that we didnt see that part of him that went out of his way to get what he wanted
I agree with the state ment moles perspective of his home changed because he missed it
Mole changed his sight on his house when he got back home by thinking his house was to dusty and small, unlike Toads house where its spotless and huge. Toads house somewhat changed mole into not likeing his own house because there were no more fancy dishes. I think when I get back to America, i will see everything so different and not old and rich like England. I know that once I get back home and sleep in my own bed I won’t wake up in the hotel but in my own room.
Toad is a unique character because he’s always happy but than he only cares for himself. he stands apart from his friends by having more money than all of them and he also has good ideas sometimes but never really get to try them out since his friends won’t help with him. My impression on Toad is that he gets onto one subject and goes onto another subject easily.
Toad is a carefree character and he does stand apart from his friends because he does have more money than them and he also does not care about them as much as they care about him. I like Toads character though.
I agree on the fact that hes always happy, but I don’t think he only likes himself. I mean he does take others into consideration sometimes:).
I agree about the whole getting back to america thing and not seeing all the old stuff. Going to Englend will be an amazing experience and I will also look at the world differantly because of it.
Mole thinks that his home is small, and not good enough for him anymore. His house is now too cramped for him, and is very dirty and dusty. But, when Mole came back to his house, he admired it, and remembered how many memories he had. When Rat and Toad arrived there, they was’nt fancy food, but Mole was not worried about the food. When he remembered all the memories he had, he started telling stories to Ratty. Then, Mr. Toad started realizing how much pride he has in his home. I think 12 days away from home will make me realize how much I appreciate my house and the ones in it. It will change my perspective because homes are probably way different in England, and I will miss the comfort and surroundings of my own home. I will realize how different life and culture is in a whole other country, and that will make me feel thankful for what I have now around me.
*Wasn’t
i coompletly agrtee with you!
I think Mole didnt like his home because after he saw the world more it must have seemed like his home was so small and boring. Compared to everything else that was going on around it, and all the adventures he could be having instead of being inside his dusty boring little home .Then later when him and Ratty were eating dinner and he was telling all of the stories he realized how many memories were in the home and he became more attached to it in a way. Making him like his home alot more, which made his persective change of his home to being a great place with many memories where he could always come back to no matter what happens. That how i feel too sometimes. When i go to my friends house I never want to go back home but then when i get there i realized i kind of missed it. Being away from my home on the tap trip will be a super fun, but I’m sure towards the end i will start missing home alot! Then again i might be to distracted by all the fun things were going to see instead of thinking of home. I’m not sure I’ve never been really far away from home before except when i go to wisconsin which really isnt that far. So this will be a new experience for me. Toad is unique because atfirst he just seemed like a kind of dumb happy character , then he turned out to be very exciting and funny. He has alot of money and I think he likes to live life to the fullest. No matter how much of his money he has to spend. He also is loving and very giving.
YES!!!! i completly agree with you!!!!!!
What makes Toad such a unique character is that he is always careless, and seems like he has nothing to care about. He acts ver wealthy, and spends his money on outfits and motor vehicles. But, what also makes Toad unique is that sometimes he can be sweet and caring. He stands out from his friends since he is lazy, but is somehow “acting” or seems to be rich. What is weird is that usually if you are lay, you don’t have or receive money. Almost every day, the Toad pays a visit with the police. His friends all care about him and are trying to help him, since he has been acting strange. Toad is truly acting crazy and practically throwing money away. But, to Toad, he is doing no such thing. (nothing wrong)
I agree with your description of Toad. Especially saying he is always careless. I always see him as a child more than an adult!
I agree! Toad seems to be a reckless character… I feel as if money doesn’t really mean anything in his eyes. I also agree on the part about his friends. All the others just want him to go back to normal… or atleast the normal for Toad.
Still really late sorry but here it is
1. I belive that moles perspective of his home has changed increasingly because of how long hes been away from him home. He doesnt remember all of the things he had and has a new feeling for it. He thinks of it as happiness and sanctume. It makes me wonder if ill miss my family. But its okay my church takes 4 days in the winter to the kalaharie and this will be my second year going so i think i wont miss my mom or dad too much. And next year is coming so soon. I dont know if i can keep up. i think my perspective will change of home because of how much everything will look different from londan. i mean 12 days in a different country ill probobly get used to everything up there. Home will be very different.
2. I always thought Mr. Toad was a unique character because hes not like any of the rest. He can change your thoughts. He really didnt change to me personally. He is still the Mr. Toad that can look like the stupidest person alive and say the smartest thing ever. He gives off a sense of humer to the book. He stands apart from his friends by being more himself. hes humorous and at the same time adventurous. He hasnt changed and I hope he doesnt.
After Mole had saw the world, he realized how small, and boring his house really is. It’s old,dirty, and dusty, and just not good enough for him anymore. But, after seeing the world, and finally coming home, he realized hhow nice it really is. Also, when he came home, he remembered all the great memories that came along with his home. When Rat and Toad came over he started telling him all his great memories, and began to love his home. I think 12 days in england will realloy change my perspective on my home. I think it will make me appreciate my house alot more, and the people in it. It will make me reralize how nice my house really is.
What makes Toad a unique character is how he is so wealthy, caring, and unique. Also Toad has a great imagination, that also makes him stand out. Although, i think toad is kinda selfish because he seems like he only cares about himself.Toad just seems like he has an overall crazy personality.
1.) Moles perspective of his house has changed due to his travels with rat. He missed his home, and was homesick. although he wasnt away a really long time, he felt like he hadnt been there in ages. after traveling around, was able to remember how much he actually loved his house. I think that the 12 day trip to england will change my perspective of my home. I have traveled a lot before, but with my family, so it will be weird. i will appreciate what i have more than i do now.
2.) Toad is a very unique character. He is crazy and unpredictable. he stands apart from his friends, because he does things like buying a car right after one causes him to crash his wagon. my perspective of him hasnt changed at all.
I agree with you , I don’t think Toad has changed at all either.
I believe that Moles perspective on his house has changed because he has been around such interesting, new things and ideas that going back to normal life is not as exciting. But later, while having dinner with Mr.Ratty, Mole realizes how important his home really is to him. It might not be as modern or have as many things at Toads or Ratty’s but it does have sentimental value. I think going over seas for 12 days will defianitly cause us to view our homes in a totally different way as well. Our houses may not be as interesting as Big Ben, or any castle, but it’s what is normal and comfortable to us. Even though some of us may say we won’t miss our famalies or our homes, it may not even occur to us until the end of the trip, or even after the trip, but we will.
What makes Toad a unique character is that when you first meet him you may think he is careless and just goes through life completely oblivious, but once you get to know him you realize he is a sweet, loving character. He might not be the brightest character, but his heart it truley in the right place. My impression of Toad hasn’t really changed drastically from the beginning of the book, but I do think he is willing to stand up and fight for what he believes in. I think he really shows this in the last two chapters.
well the mole always thought of his house as a old little shck that really was not that important. but then he invited the water rat over for dinner at the moles house once the water rat and the mole started to shre their stories the mole started to realize what his home really meant to him. so the moles perspective on his house changed because all he did was remember all of the good times that he had in his home with the people he knows. just to really think of it I’m around my family every second of every day. as much as i hate to say it i would be homesick the first night . when i come home i won’t leave. although i would rather get on a plane right now and go to England, i would stillthink about not getting on the plane. when i get home i would most likely act like i’ve been gone for years! the toad is very unique in lots of ways. unlike many people toad has no problem with just letting out all of his ideas. and if something goes wrong he tries again. when i first met the toad i thought he was going to be mean like the water rat said he was. but as the story goes on i really start to learn that the toad is a really cool guy. myways of seeing the toad have changed in many ways. now i see the toad as a guy that would be nice to hang around!
Moles point of view on his house has defiantly changed in the past few days. He now sees that it has not much value to the eye. I think Mole has been pampered while at Rat and Toads house because their houses are large and have a very attractive look to them. Then at the end Mole realized even though it was not a mansion or an amazing cruise boat home is home and you will never forget it no matter how far you are or how long you have been away. Home is where it begins and where you end it.
I think I will be ok when I go to England because I am a girl scout and I go to camps that are a week to two weeks long. When you go we usually go with a friend but other than that girl scouts usually don’t know anyone. I know I will miss home though; I usually come home after camp and just stay at home for days because I miss it so much, and the work at camp wares you down.
Toad has changed but not a lot. Toad is still a very caring person that will give help to a friend and invite them to join him on a journey. Toad has also changed in the dealing with money. He seems to be a big spender and spends all his money based on looks. He has bought boats, houses, motor cars, wagons, and objects the go with them. That dose not seem like a reasonable list of purchases.
Before I submit my task, I am sorry I’ve been late for these last two parts. I’ve been busy. I’ll be submitting these earlier in the week now. Sorry for the late postings.
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Mole’s perspective changed on his home when they fixed it up and Rat gave him some encouragement. He realized how important is home really was after he remembered what went on there. There is some sentimental value there that I think we all have in our homes. I’m always away from home every summer for Colorado to visit my family. My perspective of home changes a bit and it makes me feel like I missed my house. But if I learn all this stuff in another country and whatnot, I’d probably come home and make comparisons on how it is alike and different. I’ll look at my home as the best place ever, probably. I recently went to Kentucky and I realized my home is where I feel the safest, and I’d probably miss that comfort.
He is unique because he spends money like it grows on trees and loves cars. He teaches kids what not to do. He stands apart from his friends because he wants to be careless, but his friends want him to be wise. He doesn’t get that they are trying to help him.
1.) I think that Mole’s opinion on his home has changed because now he thinks that he’s way too good for everything in his house. His house to him was way too small compared to Mr.Toad’s large estate. He also thinks it’s very dirty and dusty. Mole thinks that his house is too stuffy for him to be living there. But it seemed that Mole came back around after the recollections from his house. He again came to appreciate the house he lived it once more. I think being away for 12 days in another country will definitely change my perspective of home. It’ll probably give me a new sense of respect for everything that I have, and I’ll learn to be more grateful for everything.
2.) Toad is such an abstract character, which makes him very interesting. He literally to me seems like he never grew up. Mostly because of his poor judgement, and overall how he acts like a child. Toad stands out because of his whole personality. Toad has about 50% good qualities and 50% bad. At times he can be abrupt, other times he can be very calm or nice. My opinion on Toad has most definitely changed throughout the story. What I used to see in mole was him being conceited. I still sort of see that, but for sure not as much. Now I see him as really only a child stuck in an adult’s body. Seing how he REALLY acts got me to change my perspective on Toad and made me to slowly begin to like his character.
I love how you discribed toad! ^^ Its reallly true, I also like how you said it’s like he never grew up.
It almost seems like it’s true though! Toad was kind of off in his own world living by his own rules, just like a toddler would! Of course the toddler would get punished if they did bad, but Toad can’t really get punished being a grown up. Even though at times he doesn’t seem like it!
I think that because Mole is not a home body anymore that he went out and saw things that now he appreciates his home now because he had also been gone. I think that we appreciate things when we do not have them for a time . Although going to England will be a great adventure, I think it will also be nice to finally go home and I think I will miss it. Thus the saying “you do not know what you have till its gone”.
I think Mole misses his home.
Toad is a crazy character he acts like there is nothing more important than what he feels that he should be doing at the moment. He does not think of the consequences or if he will run out of money and if he will get hurt with his crazy antics. His friends want to help him , but he does not think that anything is wrong. His character is very unique and carefree. I like him and I think he will add many great events in the story.
1. Mole has changed his perspective of his house because in the beginning he had cleaned it for spring and became bored of it. I think he felt there was more outside of his home. Especially after everything he has seen including Rat’s home, Mole just notices that he doesnt have much. Then when he comes back to his home and invited Rat for dinner he realized that, where he was, was home. That out of everything he had seen his home was his sanctuary where he felt his safest or where his life had been the whole time. I guess you could say he was homesick in a way. I know what its like since i have been out of the country once or twice without seeing my family and missed them so much. When I was away I think I realized how lucky I was to have my home. When we go to England i have a feeling that I will come home and see a new perspective of it. I will realize how diffrent the two places are and which life im most comfortable in. Im excited to see the outcome.
2. Toad is my favorite charecter for he is funny and exciting. He lives his life to the fullest, with no regrets. Spending all the money he wants for whatever he wants. If It’ll make him have fun then he doesnt care. Kind of how I am with money, as soon as I get it its gone, I cant help it. Neither can Toad haha.
I totally agree Kathy, haha only because I’ve been to the mall with you. Your money handling is not the best XD. Toad is also my favorite character too. 🙂
I can’t say I COMPLETELY agree with you on the “missing your family” part, but I connect to missing my home. It’s great to go other places and see how others live, but I think others feel much more comfortable in their own beds and such .
Toad is my favorite character too. I seams like he is the main character. He seem to be almost everywhere in the book. I wonder if they made a movie in it.
1.) I think Moles perspective on his home changed because he didn’t know what he had until it was gone, and being away made him realize how much he really loved his home. I think what made his house from boredom to a sweet home was that when he left his house, he thought it was best for him because he thought it was small, cramped and nothing but work. When Mole smelled his house, he got all of the memories of his home back. Then he started to miss everything. I know that when I go to a foreign country, i will miss my home and change my perspective of it. Right now i think my home is suffocating, and i just want to get away from it. But i bet when I’m on the trip, I’ll miss it more than anything. Just like how mole changed his perspective of his home.
2.) Toad is such a unique character because he’s just so careless and likes to live his life (that’s my opinion). To me, i think hes very happy all the time. He stands apart from his friends because his friends are very calm. While Toad is very cheerful and hyper. You could tell by how excited he was when he saw the motorcar. My impression of him hasn’t changed a bit. Ever since I was first introduced to Toad I’ve always thought he was careless and chose not to care about most things (that’s how I act also most of the time) but hes still very soft hearted. I can really connect to Toad so far. I have a feeling that Toad is gradually going to change throughout the book, only because in almost every movie I’ve watched the character that acts like Toad changes in the end.
I totally understand what you mean when you say your home is suffocating. I love when I get to get out of the house and stay at a friends or something, but then I DREAD the moment when my parents come pick me up.
I was thinking the same thing, Madi. Mole realized his home was alot different because it seemed like nothing when it was gone, and turned into a cozy home when he came back. The phrase “you dont know what you have until its gone” perfectly fits what happened in this chapter.
1.) I think that Mole’s perspective has changed a lot because everything in his house isn’t good enough for him anymore, or at least that’s what he thinks. He says that his house is now too small and dusty, and it’s not big like Mr. Toads house is. When Rat and him got to Mole’s house Mole said there were no fancy meals, and there was hardly any food. Then Rat gave him a little bit of help by helping him remember what it was like to live in his own home and on his own. I think the ideas of my house will change when I get back from the England trip because it will l look almost small when I’m used to seeing all of these extravagant things and just coming back to boring old Minooka will be kind of “bland”.
2.) What makes Toad a unique or different character is when you first meet him you may think he is reckless and just very nonchalant, but once you get to know his character you realize he is very nice and kind. He might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but his heart and mind are in the right place. My impression of Toad hasn’t really changed that much from the beginning of the book, but I do think he is willing to stand firm for what he believes in.
That is exactly what I think when we will come back to Minooka, it will be boring and small!!
I think Moles perspective of his home has changed because he, at first, didn’t think it mattered is he just left his home and didn’t come back. Then, memeries of the old place came flooding back into his head, he smelled the sweet aroma of his home on the way back to his new home. I think my perspective of home will change because i am not used to being home anymore, i am used to being in England(if I go) I’m used to all its surroundings and foods and culture. My home will look different because i had nothing to remind me of the looks and textures of the building.
Toad is the type of person who you look up to if you need a friend. He will make you laugh at the things he does. He will.also, go out and bye all the latest things to feel like he has the best ‘toys’ in the world. Toad will go out of his way to get what he wants. He stands out from his friends because he is different but in a good way. He is the richest, but not the smartest. He it the most ambitiousness, but he is not the most perspective. My idea has not really changed from him because he is still outgoing.
1) I think Mole’s perspective has changed because when he was away he relized how much stuff he had and how fun it was. He didn’t see it until it was gone though. That then made him change his expression and feeling about the his home and the way it was. I believe 12 days away from my home will be a good and a bad thing. For the good, because I will be free from the same little things that go on in my life and experience a whole new side of life and me. For the bad, I will miss everything about America and might think it is a little wierd that it is so different outside of what I am used to. Because the longest I have been away from home was a week and that was in Pennsylvania, so not that far, compared to England atleast.
2) Toad is a unique character, because not just that he is kind of dumb, he is hystarical sometimes. But other times he can be normal and maybe seem kind of smart. He is a very different character from the rest, and any other book I have ever read. Not that he is bipolar, but it could be explained to be similar to that, just not in the bad way. He is different, outstanding, and a very special character, I think that is why he is ranked so high as one of the best characters in Literature.
* Sorry it is late, so so sorry :-\
i totally agree. i think toad is so stuck up. but he was so nice in the beggining.
i totally agree with that too. i think that now he seems a little stuck up and he was really nice in the beginning of the story to everyone. i mean now they all have to take turns watching him every hour of every day.
he is espesially stubborn since his father left him money.
moles point of veiw changed because when he was away from his house. he noticed how much fun it reall was. he also relized how much he really had. it would be good to be away from myhome for 12 days. just the feeling of being in a new country and trying new things. i think it will be lots of fun to be away. just to see what i really miss in the u.s. also to see how much different it is. also how much a like.
i think toad is very different from the rest. not only beacuse he is the one with the biggest house and land. but also because how nice he seemed in the beggining of the story. my first thought of him is totally different now. i think he is sooooo stuck up and down right rude.
* sorry this is two days late. couldn’t get on the computre last night to do it.*
1. I think that Mole’s perspective of his home has changed because of him being away from it. Along with him being in Toad and Ratty’s homes. Coming back to his home, Mole feels that nothing is like his friends home. His is dusty and feels too small compared to the others. I think that though it feels this way, Rat helps him get over these feelings and realize what he has truly missed. In my opinion,being away from my home and family for 12 days will change how I see it. This is because no where we go will be quite the same, and when we do get back, it won’t feel like it did. And like Mole, I think that after thinking it through, I’ll realize what I missed.
2.I think that Toad is a unique character in many ways. For example, he is very adventerous. He never gives up and is always committed to what he does. He stands apart from his friends because no matter what, he will always stand up for what he believes in and never backs down. To me, he hasn’t really changed since the beginning of the book. He is still outgoing and is still a very joyful character. Also, his smarts are really starting to shine, but I don’t think his friends have realized that yet.
I understand what your getting at , Tori. Toad is adventurous, but that isnt the quality that stands out the most (in my opinoin). Mole is also adventurous but that is the main quality that stands out the most for him. For Toad, its his crazy personality. He is though adventurous, but most of the book describes Toad doing quirky things and being funny and random.
i agree with you Meaghan about being away from home . I have the same perspective. Yes ill miss everyone, but it will be a change.
i agree that it will be a change and that i will miss eveyone i know that is not going to be with us
I agree with your perspective about toad Kathy. He is my favorite character. He lives to the fullest, and does what he wants.
Madi i agree with you completley , because my perspective of toad has not changed at all haha. (: 😉
1-i think that moles perspective of his home changed because once he had been living with rat he had seethe living conditions that he had owned. so then mole thinks that what he lived in was not good enough to be seen by someone who had a nice house like mole. it went from duty to sweet home because rat kept telling him how might he thought that his living quarters were “capital.” i think that this mad mole feel better about where he live and how his house looked because someone was fond of it. i have been away from home for an extend period of time for about a month will my grandparents in New York, and i had felt a change in the way that i viewed my home. i noticed that i liked it a lot better because i actually had air conditioning. since they live on a lake house up in the mountains. i think that being in a foreign country will change me by wanting to be home. i don’t really know at this point if i am going to really am going to like the culture because i have learned much about it yet. i think this because when i am there i will forget about things like my computer 🙂 then i will come back and remember what i had missed.
2- I think that toad is such a unique character because he never gives up on something. but yet again he is caught up in the moment on what he wants to do. like in the beginning he wanted to be a boater. now her is obsessed with motor cars.also, he said one thing in the smoke room to badger saying that he was sorry for ll of his actions, but then he said he wash’t when he got out of there. i think that he stands apart from his friends because he wants to do more things and experience different things. i think that mole, badger, and rat are all layer back and once they start doing something they commute to it. unlike toad who once he finds a new fad it disappears almost just as easy as he found it. My impression has changed a little since the begging of the story. this happened because i didn’t really know that toad was so determined to do the things that he wanted to. this is ow my impression of toad has changed since the beginning of the story.
1.) I think the only reason Mole’s perspective of his home changed was because he got to see how others lived. By others I pretty much mean Toad and Rat. He becomes disappointed at his small living quarters. Mole also didn’t like the dimness and dustiness of his home. Eventually he got over it. The longest I have been away from home has been fourteen days. I went on a trip to Arizona and there was a large difference between my home and my family’s (whom we were staying with). When I came back I appreciated the nicer weather we have here. In Illinois it’s usually not too hot nor too cold, but in Arizona it’s steaming.
2.) My impression of the strange Toad has changed somewhat. I now know that Toad is ACTUALLY determined. I used to think he wanted to do tons of crazy things, but he doesn’t really mind if he doesn’t get to do it. It seems that he is dead serious about the things he says he wants to do . This is how my impression of Toad has changed through out the chapters.
Well I think my thought about home now is that I am their twenty four seven and I don’t miss home at all when I spend the night at a friend’s house or go camping. But although when I am camping I am with my family and when I am at a friend’s house I know I can just call home and go home if I need to. But while I am an England I won’t be able to just call home or I might not even be with my family so I might not be able to look over my shoulder and see my mom or dad standing right there. Although I might not be able to see my mom or dad I will still be able to hear them over the phone. I think this is a lot how mole is feeling. Even when I spend the weekend at my dad’s my mom will be calling me telling me that she misses me already. So I think that if she doesn’t go it would impact her more than it would me.
I think that he stands out from all of his friends because of how he acts. I think in the begging of the book Mr. Toad was nice but stubborn at first. Now when it comes to his car and racing he is just down right stubborn. Like in the begging of chapter six the badger wanted to talk to toad about his car. But the mole and the rat had to hold him down inside toads own house so that the toad would talk to Mr. Badger. Also the toad is very bad with money. He is making their district look bad by using his father’s money and crashing and destroying cars and boats. That is what Mr. Badger wanted to tell toad.
i disagree that toad is bad with money
1 mole perspective of his house now is different because he is finally back from his journey. mole is now ready to get back to cleaning his house. this is what happens when mole leaves his house
2 why toad is special is because he is not scared to express him self. he change my prospective of him because he also shows that he can be smart at deciding thing that could help
I believe that Mole in a way misses his home. It all goes back to the phrase “you don’t know what you have until its gone. Mole thought that a lot of improvements could be made to his home, and after he had come back with rat, he realized that on his adventures he had no real home and his old home then looked like a huge improvement compared to nothing. I once left my home for two weeks to visit my grandparents, and the house was kind of messy. When i came back, the house was spotless! The carpet was washed, everything was put away, the walls were painted, and everything looked amazing. It appeared like an improvement and an entirely different home the truth is, it was the same home. The appearance of your shelter changes how you feel and changes your emotions. Mole felt this way when he came back to his home.
Toad is a special character, but his personallity is not unique. Toad is very different but in his own way. In many different shows/books/movies there is usually a quirky, crazy character that is either “not the sharpest knife in the droor” or “tends to fail a lot” or both. The Harry Potter series has Ron and Nevil. But each character is crazy in their own way. Toad totally blocks out all bad things in the world and doesn’t think what will happen in the future, if people will “judge” him for what he wears or what he does. Toad does things in a way that normal characters would answer in a simple answer. Toad would answer them in the funniest way possible to entertain him and the ones around them because he believes happiness can solve any problem. He is truely a unique character.
I disagree because if you think that stealing cars and being snooty and greedy is being happy, then you don’t know what being happy really is.
The stealing cars: he has a problem
snooty: he isn’t
He just tries to do what he wants regardless of what anyone else says. Being snooty is purposly doing the opposite of what your friends say, which is what you believe he is doing (almost like how you think of me!), but he tries to be himself which the record states is the best quality of one of your other friends (not me), though when i try to be myself, you tell me otherwise. Toad doesn’t have to do what his friends say, they don’t have any athourity over him.
1)I think Mole missed his home and he was tired from his journey and was excited to actually be in a bed. The longest I’ve been away from home (that i remember) is probably six days. I was in southern Illinois. My family, a few friends and I were camping and looking for snakes. We would usually be in a hotel, but after a long day of looking in bluffs and and under rocks, the only thing we slept in were our tents. I was a little scared to come home because we did leave Nate to take care of all of our pets, and we have A LOT of pets. But when we came home, he ACTUALLY did a pretty good job. Anyway, i do think being in England will change my perspective of my home. I will probably think it’s better to live in a house with multiple rooms other than being in a hotel room with only one other room… a bathroom.
2)Toad is unique because he is always getting in trouble. He doesn’t think anything through and he just does it. Thats what makes him stand out. I don’t think Toad has changed a bit. He is still the one who messes everything up to me.
That’s a cool story. The longest I’ve been away from home id two months and it was pretty hard. I got really homesick.