In Wind in the Willows, why is Mole's garden full of Italian heroes?

Question

I recently noticed the passage in Wind in the Willows where Mole comes back to his old home contains this extraordinary quote.> On the walls hung wire baskets with ferns in them, alternating with> brackets carrying plaster statuary - Garibaldi, and the infant Samuel,> and Queen Victoria, and other heroes of modern Italy.Plaster busts of Samuel and Queen Victoria would, presumably, have been common British garden ornaments in 1908 when the book was written. But Italian revolutionary Garibaldi seems more of a stretch. Not to mention the fact that Mole's collection of statues extends to a range of other Italian heroes.This seemed so incongruous that I couldn't help but wonder: why are they there? Is this some oblique political statement by the author?

Answer 1

Hi! I grew up on the Wind in the Willows, which hinges on the intersection of the heroic and the pastoral. The story takes the form of a quest, or a hero's journey, while emphasizing elements of the cozy, countryside lifestyle. I take this passage about mole's garden less as a political statement and more of a symbol of the seemingly contradictory nature of the pastoral story and the hero's journey. Additionally, this cultural allusion serves to express Mole's socioeconomic status, which the article below dubs the "shabby genteel," as his tastes indicate some level of cultural expenses, but not so up-to-date or lavish as Toad's may be. Lastly, it may not serve as a literary symbol so much as an allusion: Garibaldi gained fame in England in the late 1800's for his unification efforts of Italy. The hierarchy of the animal kingdom, with Toad at the top, Mole and Rat and Badger, and then woodland creatures like rabbits, and lastly the Weasels at the bottom can all loosely represent disparate social classes. The Garibaldi allusion points toward Mole's desire or ability to bridge class gaps and economic regions.

Helpful Source:

Moore, John David. “Pottering about in the Garden: Kenneth Grahame's Version of Pastoral in ‘The Wind in

the Willows.’” <i>The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association</i>, vol. 23, no. 1, 1990, pp. 45–60. <i>JSTOR</i>, www.jstor.org/stable/1315036. Accessed 13 Sept. 2021.