Tuck Everlasting is a story about Winnie who meets the family of Tucks and the resultant secrecy. The Tucks have a long standing secret of immortality arising from drinking water from a special spring. Consequently, the Tucks are bound to stray alive until the end of time. In the exchange of words, Winnie falls in love with Jesse, one of the Tucks who in turn shares similar feelings for Winnie. Despite the brewing love, Jesse would not let Winnie drink from the spring as that would have exposed the family’s secret (Babbitt, 2007). Throughout the story, Winnie has an opportunity to choose between being with Jesse in immortality or adopting the circle of life and living a mortal life. On the other hand, the Tucks have no choice but must lead a life that was selected long ago. During their interactions, the Tucks try to educate Winnie on how she should not fear death and the fact that they would give anything themselves to die. The story is an exploration of the need to brace death and fear an unlived life instead. Indeed, the story manifests the calamity of having no choice through the lack of life and abundance of sadness among the Tucks as well as Winnie’s happiness.

The absence of choice is quite prevalent in the story with the Tucks being confined to immortality. Although the everlasting life had seemed like an awesome gift at the onset, the Tucks later realized that they had been shut from the circle of life. Indeed, the family had been confined into believing that an everlasting life would be an awesome experience. However, the family was restricted from the natural circle of life in which all living organisms belonged. In essence, the Tucks were not really living as they had no choice on their existence or the absence of it. Jesse Tucks admits to having felt alien to the concept of life and even “wished that he would experience growth and change as offered by life and death” (Babbitt, 2007). Also the choice made by Winnie may seem absurd at first but is equally important as it enrolled her to the realm of life. Although some may think she made the wrong choice, the existence of a tough choice made her a part of life as she could choose her own destiny. Finally, the absence of choice is a negative concept as indicated through the description of Tuck as a man with a sad face. Since the family has no choice, they only meet every ten years at the spring. Surely, this does not reflect a very happy family despite having an everlasting life.

The happiness portrayed by Winnie contrasts the sadness and absence of life among the Tucks occasioned by the absence of choice among the latter. Indeed, the story is proof that having a tough choice is better than having no choice at all. Tuck Everlasting depicts Winnie as having a tough choice to make regarding her life as either an immortal or a mortal person (Babbitt, 2007). On the other hand, the Tucks have no choice on their life as they are confined to an infinite life. While the essence of an everlasting life seemed like an amazing gift at first, it alienated the family from the concept of life itself.  Winnie on the other hand has more benefits as she has a choice regarding her destiny and happiness, something that is lacking among the Tucks.

References

Babbitt, N. (2007). Tuck everlasting.

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