Tuck Everlasting

Prologue-Chapter 2

Reading Check

1. Treegap (Chapter 1)

2. A music box (Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. The author builds tension through the description of the woods, calling them forbidding. She explains that the Fosters have never been curious about it, but the cows, having otherworldly wisdom, pass around the woods. The author then builds tension by describing the ash tree at the wood’s center and a concealed spring underneath, explaining that disaster would befall the world if it were discovered. The author never mentions the reason for this disaster, further contributing to the mystery. (Chapter 1)

2. The narrator describes the Tuck family as having not changed for 87 years. This is further supported earlier in the chapter when Mae tells Tuck she doesn’t know why he bothers dreaming of heaven because nothing is going to change. (Chapter 2)

Chapters 3-5

Reading Check

1. A toad (Chapter 3)

2. A yellow suit (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Winnie is tired of her family nagging her so frequently. She wants to do something exciting that would make a difference in the world. (Chapter 3)

2. Winnie finds Jesse drinking from the spring after she ventures into the woods. Jesse describes the spring as not good to drink from, but Winnie is skeptical because she saw him drinking from it. Mae and Miles spot Winnie speaking with Jesse and Mae declares “The worst is happening at last.” (Chapter 5)

Chapters 6-9

Reading Check

1. Her music box (Chapter 6)

2. Tuck (Chapter 9)

Short Answer

1. The Tucks first encountered the streams when traveling through the woods. Not knowing the stream’s abilities, the family drank from the stream—all but the cat, and Tuck carved a “T” on the tree before they left. Jesse later fell from a tree and landed on his head but was uninjured, and hunters accidentally shot their horse, but it wasn’t hurt. After 20 years the family begins realizes they are not aging, and the “T” carved on the tree is as fresh as if it had been carved yesterday. (Chapter 7)

2. Winnie is convinced not by the believability of the story—because she does not believe in fairy tales—but by the kind and earnest mannerisms of the Tuck family. Winnie’s trust in the Tucks reveal that she tends to trust those who show kindness to her, and she may be too trusting. (Chapter 8)

Chapters 10-12

Reading Check

1. Every 10 years (Chapter 10)

2. Their horse (Chapter 12)

Short Answer

1. Winnie’s home is very structured and orderly. She compares it to the Tuck home, which is cluttered and chaotic. Winnie suspects that the Tucks keep their home this way because they have forever to clean it up. (Chapter 10)

2. Tuck illustrates the flow of life by describing the way the river flows and changes and is forever moving forward. When the boat becomes stuck, Tuck compares it to his own family’s life. His comparison reveals that the family feels as though they are also stuck and unable to move forward. They are left behind by all living things, which makes the reader wonder if one can truly live if life is unchanged. (Chapter 12)

Chapters 13-17

Reading Check

1. The man in the yellow suit (Chapter 13)

2. A fish (Chapter 17)

Short Answer

1. Jesse’s family—having experienced more loss than Jesse himself—believes eternal life is monotonous and feels confined by the stuck feeling. Jesse views eternal life as wonderful, if an individual has the right attitude. Jesse tries to convince Winnie to drink from the spring when she turns 17 so they can have fun together that never ends. (Chapter 14)

2. Rather than coming forward as a concerned citizen, the man in the yellow suit steals a horse and goes to the Foster’s home to bargain for their child’s safety. If the man had good intentions toward Winnie, he would have freely offered her location without payment. (Chapter 15)

Chapters 18-20

Reading Check

1. The music box (Chapter 19)

2. Her shotgun (Chapter 20)

Short Answer

1. The man in the yellow suit reveals that he intends to find the spring and sell immortality to certain people who deserve it. The Tucks are likely opposed to this idea because they believe eternal life is not as wonderful as some may assume it to be. Miles’s statement also reinforces the idea that the Tucks believe the earth would become too crowded if everyone knew about the spring. (Various chapters)

2. If Mae is accused of murder, she will be hanged for killing the man in the yellow suit. Winnie is concerned because she knows Mae is unable to die and the villagers will learn this if they attempt to kill her. (Chapter 20)

Chapters 21-24

Reading Check

1. Hang her (Chapter 21)

2. The spring water (Chapter 22)

Short Answer

1. Winnie intends to pose as Mae so she can escape execution. Though Winnie’s intentions will save the Tuck family, the larger implication is that Winnie will keep the secret of the spring safe, and save the world from the potential consequences of becoming aware of eternal life. (Various chapters)

2. Winnie realizes helping Mae escape prison is wrong but cannot bring herself to betray the Tucks. When the Tucks later leave her in the jail cell, she is disappointed to see them go because she is so attached to them. (Various chapters)

Chapters 25-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. A toad (Chapter 25)

2. Winnie’s grave (Epilogue)

Short Answer

Winnie uses the spring water on the toad outside her home, giving it immortality. It is likely the same toad that jumps in front of the truck. Tuck makes the statement that the toad must think it is going to live forever. The toad is the last connection the Tucks have to Winnie after her death. (Various chapters)