The Wind in the Willows

by

Kenneth Grahame

Mole Character Analysis

Mole is the first character readers meet; he leaves his cozy underground home at the beginning of the novel and never looks back. Mole is young, and he comes of age and finds himself when he meets up with Rat and agrees to stay with Rat on the river. At first, Mole is jealous and impulsive: for instance, the first time Rat takes Mole on a boat, Mole tries to take the oars and row despite not knowing how. And later, Mole becomes frustrated that Rat won’t take him into the Wild Wood and so decides to go there alone. But when Mole makes these mistakes and has to suffer the consequences (capsizing the boat and being terrified in the Wild Wood, respectively), Mole promptly learns his lesson and accepts Rat’s attempts to mentor him. Through this, Mole becomes increasingly polite and loyal to Rat. He also decides that he loves life on the river, and that the river is his home. He and Rat return to Mole’s underground home once, and while it’s a fun experience, it doesn’t change Mole’s mind about where he belongs. He does, however, appreciate Badger’s underground home more than Rat does, as being a mole, Mole is used to being underground and finds it invigorating. By the time Mole meets Toad, Mole is still interested in adventure and exploration, but he’s far more mature about it than Toad is. Mole and Rat only join Toad on the caravan excursion because Mole wants to go (though not badly enough to insist on going without Rat), so Rat agrees they should both go to make him happy. Then, as Toad becomes obsessed with cars, Mole moves into more of a supporting role. While Badger and Rat spearhead the intervention to try to get Toad give up cars, Mole mostly works in the background. When the friends retake Toad Hall, Mole is assigned supporting tasks—and gets lots of praise for doing them promptly and well, and for thinking outside the box.

Mole Quotes in The Wind in the Willows

The The Wind in the Willows quotes below are all either spoken by Mole or refer to Mole. 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 One Quotes

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. […]

“In or out of ‘em, it doesn’t matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that’s the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don’t; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you’re always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you’ve done it there’s always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you’d much better not.”

Related Characters: Rat (speaker), Toad, Mole
Related Symbols: The River, Cars
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:

“Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World,” said the Rat. “And that’s something that doesn’t matter, either to you or to me. I’ve never been there, and I’m never going, nor you either, if you’ve got any sense at all. Don’t ever refer to it again, please.”

Related Characters: Rat (speaker), Mole, The Wayfarer
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:

“Ratty, my generous friend! I am very sorry indeed for my foolish and ungrateful conduct. My heart quite fails me when I think how I might have lost that beautiful luncheon basket. Indeed, I have been a complete ass, and I know it. Will you overlook it this once and forgive me, and let things go on as before?”

“That’s all right, bless you!”

Related Characters: Mole (speaker), Rat (speaker)
Related Symbols: The River
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Two Quotes

“Finest house on the whole river,” cried Toad boisterously. “Or anywhere else, for that matter,” he could not help adding.

Here the Rat nudged the Mole. Unfortunately the Toad saw him do it, and turned very red. Then Toad burst out laughing. “All right, Ratty,” he said. “It’s only my way, you know. And it’s not such a very bad house, is it? You know you rather like it yourself.”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Mole, Rat
Page Number: 24
Explanation and Analysis:

“What dust clouds shall spring up behind me as I speed on my reckless way! What carts I shall fling carelessly into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! Horrid little carts—common carts—canary-coloured carts!”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Mole, Rat
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 34
Explanation and Analysis:
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 Five Quotes

The Rat said little or nothing, only taking care that each guest had what he wanted, and plenty of it, and that Mole had no trouble or anxiety about anything.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat
Page Number: 98
Explanation and Analysis:

He was now in just the frame of mind that the tactful Rat had quietly worked to bring about in him. He saw clearly how plain and simple—how narrow, even—it all was; but clearly, too, how much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one’s existence. He did not at all want to abandon his new life and its splendid spaces […] But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted on for the same simple welcome.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat
Page Number: 99-100
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 Seven Quotes

Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror—he felt wonderfully at peace and happy—but it was an awe that smote and held him and, without seeing, he knew it could only mean that some august Presence was very, very near.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat, Portly
Page Number: 128-29
Explanation and Analysis:

Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns […]

Related Characters: Mole, Rat, Portly
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nine Quotes

[…] “I’ve no doubt you’ll go bravely, and face all the trouble and discomfort and change and newness, and make believe that you’re not very unhappy. But to want to talk about it, or even think about it, till you really need—”

“No, you don’t understand, naturally,” said the second swallow. “First, we feel it stirring within us, a sweet unrest; then back come the recollections one like one, like homing pigeons.”

Related Characters: Rat (speaker), Mole, Portly
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Ten Quotes

It is all very well, when you have a light heart, and a clear conscience, and money in your pocket, and nobody scouring the country for you to drag you off to prison again, to follow where the road beckons and points, not caring whither. The practical Toad cared very much indeed, and he could have kicked the road for its helpless silence when every minute was of importance to him.

Related Characters: Toad, Mole, Rat, Portly
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 182
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

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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Mole Quotes in The Wind in the Willows

The The Wind in the Willows quotes below are all either spoken by Mole or refer to Mole. 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 One Quotes

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. […]

“In or out of ‘em, it doesn’t matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that’s the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don’t; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you’re always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you’ve done it there’s always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you’d much better not.”

Related Characters: Rat (speaker), Toad, Mole
Related Symbols: The River, Cars
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:

“Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World,” said the Rat. “And that’s something that doesn’t matter, either to you or to me. I’ve never been there, and I’m never going, nor you either, if you’ve got any sense at all. Don’t ever refer to it again, please.”

Related Characters: Rat (speaker), Mole, The Wayfarer
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:

“Ratty, my generous friend! I am very sorry indeed for my foolish and ungrateful conduct. My heart quite fails me when I think how I might have lost that beautiful luncheon basket. Indeed, I have been a complete ass, and I know it. Will you overlook it this once and forgive me, and let things go on as before?”

“That’s all right, bless you!”

Related Characters: Mole (speaker), Rat (speaker)
Related Symbols: The River
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Two Quotes

“Finest house on the whole river,” cried Toad boisterously. “Or anywhere else, for that matter,” he could not help adding.

Here the Rat nudged the Mole. Unfortunately the Toad saw him do it, and turned very red. Then Toad burst out laughing. “All right, Ratty,” he said. “It’s only my way, you know. And it’s not such a very bad house, is it? You know you rather like it yourself.”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Mole, Rat
Page Number: 24
Explanation and Analysis:

“What dust clouds shall spring up behind me as I speed on my reckless way! What carts I shall fling carelessly into the ditch in the wake of my magnificent onset! Horrid little carts—common carts—canary-coloured carts!”

Related Characters: Toad (speaker), Mole, Rat
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 34
Explanation and Analysis:
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 Five Quotes

The Rat said little or nothing, only taking care that each guest had what he wanted, and plenty of it, and that Mole had no trouble or anxiety about anything.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat
Page Number: 98
Explanation and Analysis:

He was now in just the frame of mind that the tactful Rat had quietly worked to bring about in him. He saw clearly how plain and simple—how narrow, even—it all was; but clearly, too, how much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one’s existence. He did not at all want to abandon his new life and its splendid spaces […] But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted on for the same simple welcome.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat
Page Number: 99-100
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 Seven Quotes

Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror—he felt wonderfully at peace and happy—but it was an awe that smote and held him and, without seeing, he knew it could only mean that some august Presence was very, very near.

Related Characters: Mole, Rat, Portly
Page Number: 128-29
Explanation and Analysis:

Trembling he obeyed, and raised his humble head; and then, in that utter clearness of the imminent dawn, while Nature, flushed with fullness of incredible colour, seemed to hold her breath for the event, he looked in the very eyes of the Friend and Helper; saw the backward sweep of the curved horns […]

Related Characters: Mole, Rat, Portly
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Nine Quotes

[…] “I’ve no doubt you’ll go bravely, and face all the trouble and discomfort and change and newness, and make believe that you’re not very unhappy. But to want to talk about it, or even think about it, till you really need—”

“No, you don’t understand, naturally,” said the second swallow. “First, we feel it stirring within us, a sweet unrest; then back come the recollections one like one, like homing pigeons.”

Related Characters: Rat (speaker), Mole, Portly
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Ten Quotes

It is all very well, when you have a light heart, and a clear conscience, and money in your pocket, and nobody scouring the country for you to drag you off to prison again, to follow where the road beckons and points, not caring whither. The practical Toad cared very much indeed, and he could have kicked the road for its helpless silence when every minute was of importance to him.

Related Characters: Toad, Mole, Rat, Portly
Related Symbols: Cars
Page Number: 182
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

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: