value of forgiveness and patience as the four friends make mistakes and try to learn from them (although Toad tests anyone's patience). Rat's life is uncomplicated, and he is able to accept things at face value, never doubting his friends' sincerity: “That’s all right, bless you!”

The novel actually developed from a series of letters that Grahame wrote to his son, and perhaps the escapism that the novel provides explains Grahame's own attempts to distract himself from the harsh reality of his complicated relationship with his son. Therefore, the reader is able to reflect on the characters' actions, and yet not feel judged if he or she sees likenesses to his or her own circumstances. Does the reader relate to Toad, Mole or Rat? Would the reader provide advice on how certain problems could have been handled differently?

As it is Grahame's escape from his own reality that inspired the shenanigans of the characters, so the moral of the story is essentially to try to do your best at all times, forgive others, and make the world a better place. Even those who take a long time to recognize their mistakes can take solace in the fact that it is never too late.

One of the morals of The Wind in the Willows is the joy that comes from journeys. At the beginning of the tale, Mole has never strayed far from his home, but, overcome with wanderlust, he finds Rat, who takes him on a boat ride and on several other adventures. In the process, Mole makes several new friends, including Toad and Badger, and he also discovers the beauty and wonders of nature.

Another moral is the importance of friendship, as Mole, Rat, and Badger try to prevent the reckless Toad from harming himself further with his heedless motoring. They attempt to place him under house arrest, but he escapes and is eventually thrown in prison. After escaping from prison, Toad realizes how kind his friends have been to him, and all four friends work together to dislodge the woodland creatures who have taken over Toad Hall, Toad's house. Each of the four friends has his own foibles, but the friends are accepting of one another and cherish each other.

Choosing a main theme is difficult because it is a subjective choice. Different readers are going to see different themes as central to the story. For example, a major theme that I see now (but didn't as a child) is the theme of materialism. Toad is a wealthy, playboy-type character, and having money, spending money, and owning nice things is how he pursues happiness. Granted, the book shows Toad's tendencies as not something that is positive about him, but the theme is present throughout most sequences that Toad features in. I think other central themes are the themes of friendship and forgiveness. I have a hard time separating these two themes from each other because I believe that they are very tightly woven together. Characters are friends with each other, and they go out and have adventures with each other. Additionally, they love and support each other, and a big part of that is forgiveness. None of the characters are flawless characters, and they make mistakes both big and small; however, the characters are always willing to forgive the faults and mistakes of another character even when that character might not deserve it.

There are many themes in this book.  The eNotes summary and study guide for the book has an excellent discussion of the themes.  Among the themes that it lists are:

• Hospitality.  You could also call this generosity.  For example, we see that Rat lets Mole come and live with him even though Rat has only met Mole that same day.  He allows Mole to stay with him a long time.
• Forgiveness.  Characters are forgiven for bad things they do, whether big or small.  Even the weasels are forgiven when they show that they feel sorry for what they have done.
• Compassion.  Characters tend to understand the others' needs and act to try to help others.  For example, Badger, Mole and Rat try to help Toad get over his mania for driving.