The Wind in the Willows and the Style of Romance

The style of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows arises from an alternative vision and choice of values characteristic of romance. Romance seeks fulfillment beyond the consequences of everyday relationships and the constrictions of ordinary life. Causal relationships give way to lists of independent items, unmotivated outcomes, and fulfilled wishes. Typical syntax in The Wind in the Willows includes compound listing of elements: instead of subordinating the parts to each other, both sentence style and larger organization deemphasize causality, giving an additive and coordinate nature to the work. Grahame’s style is an appropriate vehicle for a ‘‘new life’’ that is inherently rather than conditionally worthwhile. Characters acknowledge each other as ends. Such a style is a natural outcome of the worldview of romance.