The Circle Of Life In Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting

In Natalie Babbitt’s novel, Tuck Everlasting, the themes of innocence, the circle of life, and the archetype of Holy Grail are explained through Winnie’s realization of the Tuck family and their misfortune. Within the novel, the main character, Winnie Foster, learns about what she can value from her youth and what can happen if she does not. Natalie Babbitt takes the reader through Winnie’s journey from a young girl, dreaming of the day she would leave her childhood and make a difference, to a young woman, who understands that being a child is part of her journey and that she must cherish it. These changes occur when she meets the Tuck family when she wanders through the wood beyond her house. At first, she is frightened by the strangers, but

Angus Tuck, the patriarch of the family, takes Winnie out fishing on the lake to discuss his views on what has happened to him and his family. He explains to her that “everything’s a wheel, turning and turning, never stopping” (Babbitt 62) and that his family has just stopped, which is why they consider the spring a curse. Life is meant to be experienced, with all of its obstacles and pathways included. When he brings up the inevitable end of a person’s life, Winnie expresses her fear for the subject. He goes on to say that it is just one of the parts of life and that one has to endeavor. When Winnie asks Angus if any of the spring has brought happiness to him, he responds saying “You can’t pick out the pieces you like and leave the rest. Being a part of the whole thing, that’s the blessing” (Babbitt 63). This shows that he believes in the idea of fate and how fortuitous life can be, which is why he is unhappy that this has happened to his family. In many ways, Natalie Babbitt foreshadowed the idea of fate in the beginning of the novel. For example, in the beginning pages of the novel, she paints a picture of the nature of the setting, saying that the characters in the story “can come together in strange ways” (Babbitt 4). This alludes to the theme in that things happen for a reason, even if it is unclear in the moment. She then goes on to discuss how most people things can be changed and that fate is not a factor. Babbitt comments on this predisposition by saying “Fixed points they are, and best left undisturbed, for without them, nothing holds together. But sometimes people find this out too late” (Babbit 4). The quote explains about how people often want to tamper with their own fate, believing that the their life depends on it. Here, she refers to the archetype of the Holy Grail, meaning that some people strive to obtain a magical idea