The fact that the Fosters' house is called a "touch me not
cottage" indicates that the cottage is pristine but not inviting. The area around
Treegap, where the cottage is located, has a notable natural beauty, but in the vicinity
of the house that beauty is spoiled by the declaration of human ownership - the woods
belong to the people. The house itself is
"a square and solid cottage with a touch0me-not
appearance, surrounded by grass cut painfully to the quick and enclosed by a capable
iron fence some four feet high which clearly said, 'Move on - we don't want
you
here.'"
The house
is neat, clean, and "proud of itself." Ironically, it pristine look is forbidding; it is
clear that the owners exercise strict control over all aspects of life here, and
strangers are not welcome.
Winnie is the only child of the
Foster clan, and she is very unhappy in the Treegap cottage. Although her family loves
her, they allow her little freedom. She finds the atmosphere in the touch-me-not cottage
stifling; like the feeling it exudes towards all who pass by, it is not a place where
one can act spontaneously and feel at-ease. The Tuck's home, in contrast to the
touch-me-not cottage belonging to the Fosters, is messy and unkempt. Winnie, however,
discovers that, surprisingly, despite its appearance, the Tuck's home is more welcoming
than her own.
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