Toad is a fascinating character. He was clearly psychologically damaged and mental health services do not seem to have adequately assessed his needs. Toad's compulsive disorders were self-evident and early intervention might have prevented him getting into a life of crime. Yet the entire legal system must also fall under the spotlight: Toad clearly benefited from his social standing and the magistrates were prepared to be lenient for the price of a decent breakfast in Toad Hall. Toad took advantage of his elevated social position and the deference shown to him by the lower orders, especially in his abuse of the Horse, who he was prepared to sell for 5 shillings a leg. The finale sees Toad apparently cured; but the truth is that he has simply learned to deceive his river bank friends and gain the attention he craves in other ways.
The story of Toad therefore portrays many of the failings of the modern state. There is surely a need for an extensive inquiry into the role of the psychiatric services in the community (especially in the river bank area), class bias in the legal system, and indeed the failure of traffic police to deal with Toad's repeat petty driving offences prior to theft of the car and the pond incident.
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