We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Literature

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Who is Mr. Toad?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 12,170
Share

Mr. Toad is a famous character from the 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. He is one of the more notable characters from 20th century children's literature, and many people who have never actually read the book are familiar with Mr. Toad, thanks to his appearances in several films inspired by the book, along with a ride at Disneyland. This character is a bit impractical, selfish, and roguish, but he is also gentle, with a genuinely kind heart which has endeared him to generations of readers.

As you might imagine, Mr. Toad is a toad. All of the characters in The Wind in the Willows are anthropomorphized animals, and the book follows their adventures with each other and in the landscape of the River Thames, where Grahame happened to live himself. At first, the book met with a fairly unremarkable reaction from the public, but it grew on people, quickly becoming a children's classic and making Grahame's fortune, later being adapted into a play by A.A. Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh books.

Mr. Toad is extremely wealthy, being the owner of Toad Hall, which is described as a rather opulent dwelling. The character exhibits many stereotypically quirky traits often attributed to the wealthy, such as a passion for foppish pursuits like punting, adventuring on hot air balloons, and traveling on house boats. Mr. Toad also has a penchant for classy suits, and while he is a nice character, he is also a bit selfish and thoughtless, picking up various hobbies and then abandoning them as he loses interest.

His thoughtlessness is exemplified by his theft of an automobile, which he subsequently crashes. Mr. Toad is sent to prison for his crime, and forced to dress up as a washerwoman to escape, only to return and find his home occupied by the weasels. In the end of the book, Mr. Toad redeems himself, making good with his friends and compensating the people injured by the wake of havoc he leaves behind in the bulk of the book.

Mr. Toad was so well known and liked that he inspired a ride in the original Walt Disney World theme park, which opened in 1955. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was extremely popular with many generations of park goers, transporting passengers into the depths of the wild world of Grahame's novels. In 1998, the ride was closed and replaced with another, much to the disappointment of fans.

Share
Language & Humanities is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a Language & Humanities researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Discussion Comments
By watson42 — On Dec 09, 2011

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is not the only ride to get the chop in recent years. In 2010, Disney Land closed its old Star Tours ride for several and redid it, which upset a lot of fans- I haven't seen the new ride yet, but I know one of my best friends loved the old one as a kid and wasn't sure she would enjoy a new one.

There were other rides that either were closed or moved from one park to another, usually the ones aimed at kids. I hope they don't do this much more, though; not everyone enjoys roller coasters and flashy rides, and for us these simpler, story-based rides are a lot of fun.

By sherlock87 — On Dec 09, 2011

Actually, it was Disney Land that opened in 1955, not Disney World -- and it is the one with the Mr. Toad ride. I went there in 2010, for the 55th anniversary. It's still a lovely theme park, and for now, Mr. Toad is still there, although it was indeed closed in Disney World.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a lot of fun, though, and it's something little kids and adults can enjoy together.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.languagehumanities.org/who-is-mr-toad.htm
Copy this link
Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.