Tuck Everlasting

Angus goes by Tuck throughout the novel. Winnie describes him as having “the gentlest smile in the world” (50), and his smile symbolizes his kind personality. Tuck is the most affected by unchanging, immortal life. When the Tucks were learning about their situation, Tuck is the only one who intentionally did himself harm to see if he would die, and that process changed him. While Mae, Miles, and Jesse all had accidental brushes with death, Tuck actively tried to take his life and failed, and he lives with the trauma of death and self-harm. As a result, he hungers for something natural that is denied him.

Tuck takes an immediate liking to Winnie because she represents change. As a child, Winnie is a visual symbol of how a person changes over time. She is young, but will grow into an adult. Tuck, with both envy and hope, latches on to her ability to change. He is jealous that she has what he lost, and he wants to watch her grow just to see life progressing as it should. These emotions are reflected in his reaction to Winnie’s death. While he is sad he will never see her again, he is glad she did not choose to live with the situation he so dislikes.

Mae is both soft and fierce. She is “a great potato of a woman with a round, sensible face and calm brown eyes” (12), and her appearance mirrors the many facets of her personality. First, Mae is sensible. She views the world through a pragmatic lens, knowing she must live her life even if its outcome is unknown. While Tuck longs for what he cannot have, Mae foils him by making the best of what she has and not dwelling on what could be. While she is calm and sensible, though, Mae is also a force. When the man in the yellow suit arrives at her house, Mae does what must be done to protect her family and Winnie. Mae will do anything for those she loves.

Jesse is the younger of Tuck and Mae’s sons, and he wears his grubby clothes “with as much self-assurance as if they were silk and satin” (27). While the other Tucks acknowledge their unchanging nature with quiet acceptance or rejection, Jesse foils the rest of his family by reveling in eternal life. In Chapter 7, Jesse postulates that he will be 17 years old forever, and as a result, his development stopped at this age. He is perpetually young and full of wonder, taking chances and living for thrills. He sees the potential for similar qualities in Winnie, which is why he offers her the spring water and a chance at eternal life with him.

Miles is the older Tuck son, and he “looked solid, like an oar” (86). Miles is older than Jesse and settled down with a wife and kids before he realized he wasn’t aging. He was forced to watch his family grow while he stayed the same, which made him feel as if he was missing out on life. When his family eventually left him, they took a piece of Miles that is still missing. Miles understands the consequences of not aging in a way the rest of his family doesn’t. By remaining unchanged, Miles misses out on growing old with his wife and watching his children become adults.

The man in the yellow suit is unremarkable except for the color of his suit and the way he moves, “like a well-handled marionette” (20). He represents the danger of obsession and serves as the antagonist of the novel. The man has wanted eternal life since he was a child, and that desire has driven all his actions. He struggles with elitism, believing the Tucks are not worthy of immortality but that he is because he is better and more educated. The man’s death at the end of the book is ironic, as he does not fulfill his lifelong goal. Rather than eternal life, his life was cut short, and he attains death, something most of the Tucks want but can never have.