The Wind in the Willows

by

Kenneth Grahame

Badger Character Analysis

Badger is one of Rat, Toad, and eventually Mole’s good friends. He’s a wealthy older gentleman who lives in the heart of the Wild Wood, in an extensive underground home that uses elements of a human city that used to sit where the Wild Wood sits now. Among those who live along the riverbank or in the Wild Wood, Badger is universally respected. No one dares go against what he says, and even poor animals like the young hedgehogs like and respect Badger, and trust that if they ever need a warm meal or refuge from the cold, Badger will gladly help them. Badger is so respected in the community that he can effectively do whatever he likes. Rat explains that Badger is extremely shy and isn’t at all interested in extending or accepting dinner invitations; in fact, he prefers to keep to himself. And while this kind of behavior would be seen as rude in another animal, with Badger it’s just accepted that he’ll show up if and when he wants to, not before. Because Badger doesn’t go out much, he also doesn’t believe manners or proper grammar are as important as his friends do—but again, this is excused because of his status in the community. Badger was friends with Toad’s father, so he takes a great deal of interest in Toad’s bad behavior and spearheads the effort to stage an intervention when Toad becomes obsessed with cars. Later, Badger leads the effort to retake Toad Hall from the weasels and stoats, and he’s an instrumental force in convincing Toad to finally change his ways and be modest. Badger’s role in retaking Toad Hall does have one unintended result, though: despite it being well-known that Badger has a soft spot for children, mother weasels begin to threaten their misbehaving kids that Badger will punish them if they don’t straighten up.

Badger Quotes in The Wind in the Willows

The The Wind in the Willows quotes below are all either spoken by Badger or refer to Badger. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
).
Chapter Three Quotes

There was plenty to talk about on those short winter days when the animals found themselves round the fire; still, the Mole had a good deal of spare time on his hands, and so one afternoon, when the Rat in his armchair before the blaze was alternately dozing and trying over rhymes that wouldn’t fit, he formed the resolution to go out by himself and explore the Wild Wood, and perhaps strike up and acquaintance with Mr Badger.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat, Badger
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Four Quotes

The Badger did not mind that sort of thing at all, nor did he take any notice of elbows on the table, or everybody speaking at once. As he did not go into Society himself, he had got an idea that these things belonged to the things that didn’t really matter. (We know of course that he was wrong, and took too narrow a view; because they do matter very much, though it would take too long to explain why.)

Related Characters: Toad, Mole, Rat, Badger
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

His two friends assented, quite understanding his point. No animal, according to the rules of animal-etiquette, is ever expected to do anything strenuous, or heroic, or even moderately active during the off-season of winter.

Related Characters: Toad, Mole, Rat, Badger
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Six Quotes

“You’ve disregarded all the warnings we’ve given you, you’ve gone on squandering the money your father left you, and you’re getting us animals a bad name in the district by your furious driving and your smashes and your rows with the police. Independence is all very well, but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves beyond a certain limit; and that limit you’ve reached.”

Related Characters: Badger (speaker), Toad, Mole, Rat
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:

“Toad, I want you solemnly to repeat, before your friends here, what you fully admitted to me in the smoking-room just now. First, you are sorry for what you’ve done, and you see the folly of it all?”

There was a long, long pause. Toad looked desperately this way and that, while the other animals waited in grave silence. At last, he spoke.

“No!” he said, a little sullenly, but stoutly; “I’m not sorry. And it wasn’t folly at all! It was simply glorious!”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Badger (speaker), Mole, Rat
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eleven Quotes

“You don’t deserve to have such true and loyal friends, Toad, you don’t, really. Some day, when it’s too late, you’ll be sorry you didn’t value them more while you had them!”

“I’m an ungrateful beast, I know,” sobbed Toad, shedding bitter tears. “Let me go out and find them, out into the cold, dark night, and share their hardships, and try to prove by—hold on a bit! Surely I heard the chink of dishes on a tray! Supper’s here at last, hooray!”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Rat (speaker), Mole, Badger
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twelve Quotes

A fine idea had occurred to him while he was talking. He would write the invitations; and he would take care to mention the leading part he had taken in the fight, and how he had laid the Chief Weasel flat; and he would hint at his adventures, and what a career of his triumph he had to tell about; and on the flyleaf he would set out a sort of programme of entertainment for the evening— […]

Related Characters: Toad, Rat, Badger, The Chief Weasel
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:

Otter […] threw his arm round Toad’s neck, and tried to take him round the room in triumphal progress; but Toad, in a mild way, was rather snubby to him, remarking gently, as he disengaged himself, “Badger’s was the mastermind; the Mole and the Water Rat bore the brunt of the fighting; I merely served in the ranks and did little or nothing.”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Mole, Rat, Badger, Otter, The Chief Weasel
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:
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Badger Quotes in The Wind in the Willows

The The Wind in the Willows quotes below are all either spoken by Badger or refer to Badger. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
).
Chapter Three Quotes

There was plenty to talk about on those short winter days when the animals found themselves round the fire; still, the Mole had a good deal of spare time on his hands, and so one afternoon, when the Rat in his armchair before the blaze was alternately dozing and trying over rhymes that wouldn’t fit, he formed the resolution to go out by himself and explore the Wild Wood, and perhaps strike up and acquaintance with Mr Badger.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat, Badger
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Four Quotes

The Badger did not mind that sort of thing at all, nor did he take any notice of elbows on the table, or everybody speaking at once. As he did not go into Society himself, he had got an idea that these things belonged to the things that didn’t really matter. (We know of course that he was wrong, and took too narrow a view; because they do matter very much, though it would take too long to explain why.)

Related Characters: Toad, Mole, Rat, Badger
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

His two friends assented, quite understanding his point. No animal, according to the rules of animal-etiquette, is ever expected to do anything strenuous, or heroic, or even moderately active during the off-season of winter.

Related Characters: Toad, Mole, Rat, Badger
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 64
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Six Quotes

“You’ve disregarded all the warnings we’ve given you, you’ve gone on squandering the money your father left you, and you’re getting us animals a bad name in the district by your furious driving and your smashes and your rows with the police. Independence is all very well, but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves beyond a certain limit; and that limit you’ve reached.”

Related Characters: Badger (speaker), Toad, Mole, Rat
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:

“Toad, I want you solemnly to repeat, before your friends here, what you fully admitted to me in the smoking-room just now. First, you are sorry for what you’ve done, and you see the folly of it all?”

There was a long, long pause. Toad looked desperately this way and that, while the other animals waited in grave silence. At last, he spoke.

“No!” he said, a little sullenly, but stoutly; “I’m not sorry. And it wasn’t folly at all! It was simply glorious!”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Badger (speaker), Mole, Rat
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eleven Quotes

“You don’t deserve to have such true and loyal friends, Toad, you don’t, really. Some day, when it’s too late, you’ll be sorry you didn’t value them more while you had them!”

“I’m an ungrateful beast, I know,” sobbed Toad, shedding bitter tears. “Let me go out and find them, out into the cold, dark night, and share their hardships, and try to prove by—hold on a bit! Surely I heard the chink of dishes on a tray! Supper’s here at last, hooray!”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Rat (speaker), Mole, Badger
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Twelve Quotes

A fine idea had occurred to him while he was talking. He would write the invitations; and he would take care to mention the leading part he had taken in the fight, and how he had laid the Chief Weasel flat; and he would hint at his adventures, and what a career of his triumph he had to tell about; and on the flyleaf he would set out a sort of programme of entertainment for the evening— […]

Related Characters: Toad, Rat, Badger, The Chief Weasel
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis:

Otter […] threw his arm round Toad’s neck, and tried to take him round the room in triumphal progress; but Toad, in a mild way, was rather snubby to him, remarking gently, as he disengaged himself, “Badger’s was the mastermind; the Mole and the Water Rat bore the brunt of the fighting; I merely served in the ranks and did little or nothing.”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Mole, Rat, Badger, Otter, The Chief Weasel
Page Number: 242
Explanation and Analysis: