Roald Dahl

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Author of these books
(Llandaff, 1916 - Oxford, 1990) 



Roald Dahl was a novelist, "British writer best known as author of stories for children and youth"

Among his most popular books are:

- James and the Giant Peach (1961)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
- The Witches and Tales of the unexpected (1983)
- Matilda (1988)

Other books he wrote:

(Poetry for children)

- The gremlins (1943)
- The magic finger (1966)
- Fantastic Mr. fox (1970)
- Charlie and the great glass elevator (1973)
- Danny the champion of the world (1975)
- The enormous crocodile (1978)
- The Twits (1980)
- George's marvelous medicine (1981)
- The BFG (1982)
- The giraffe and the pelly and me (1985)
- Esio Trot (1990)
- The Minpins (1991)
- The Vicar off Nibbleswicke (1991)

(Poetry for Children)

- Revolting rhymes (1982)
- Dirty beasts (1984)
- Rhyme stew (1989)

(Adult fiction). He even wrote novels for adults

- Sometime Never: a Fable for Supermen (1948)
- My uncle Oswald (1979)

"CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY"

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-Plot: Adventures of Charlie and other four children in the Wonka's Chocolate Factory

-Was wrote and published in 1964.

Roald Dahl: What did he inspire? The story was originally inspired in his chief memories when Roald had experiences of chocolate companies




Childhood in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory we may see reflected some of the most commonly roles found in today's society. These characters are accompanied not only of physical characteristics; they are also stereotyped attitudinal characteristics.

Some of those features are the following:

• Feeling of ownership and leadership.

• Eagerness of adventure and social prestige.

• They are competitive.

• Acceptance of the dominant social control

• Children get involved in a stage of moral development. Moral development is related to the values ​​that parents instill into them.

• They begin to be able to develop their own ideas of good and evil.

• Development through family relationships: Family relationships play a crucial role in the development of children. The parent-child relationship is one of the greatest individual influences over a child's self esteem and sense of self-control. 


The five main roles that are apparent in the film and in which some of the characteristics already mentioned are the following.



Augustus Gloop

Augustus Gloop is the first child to find the gold ticket. He is a boy obsessed with food. Moreover, he is very fat as his diet consists of meat and chocolate


Veruca Salt

Veruca Salt, is the second child to find the gold ticket. She is impulsive and bad-mannered. She is never content with the things she has. She is all the time asking his father to buy or get her new 
things


Violeta Beauregarde 

Violeta Beauregarde is the third one of the children to find a golden ticket. She is very competitive and she is obsessed with breaking records


Mike Teavee 

Mike Teavee, is the fourth child to find the golden ticket. This child has a great obsession with television


Charlie Bucket 

Charlie is the main character of the book. Charlie has all the virtues that should be a good child. He is friendly, caring and loving. He lives in humble house with his family. He loves to eat chocolate however he hardly get just one chocolate a year. It is a dream for him to get to know the Wonka Chocolate Factory



CONCLUSION

We may say that establishing an opposition between Charlie as a passive, obedient, observant and quiet heroe, and the other kids (Veruca Salt, Mike Teavee, Augustus Gloop and Violet Beaure ¬ garde) behaving disobedient, moody and obsessed with food, TV, chewing gum or gettng whatever they want - excesses that should have been punished by their parents and it is in the chocolate factory where they were punished by being offered a moral to be learnt.

"MATILDA"

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Matilda (trailer)




CONTEXTO

Matilda is a children’s novel (author:  Roald Dahl-published in 1988). 
It’s a fantastic story based on:
  • real characters treating different important themes 
  • many childhood features. 
The novel was adapted into a film in 1996,  (Danny De Vit.).

Roald Dahl won an award by his written of Matilda’s story. It was given by the category of Children’s Book in 1988.

PLOT

- Matilda, is a sweet and intelligent girl and besides she is "different" from her family. 
- Due to her intelligence, she even can control her mind, being able to do "magic".

She goes to school and  meets: 

  • Miss Honey, a sweet teacher who give her love to Matilda and who listens and understand her
  • Miss Trunchbull, an evil director who abuse physically and psychologically pupils.
Finally, everything concludes in a right and happy way since  Matilda is adopted by Miss Honey, Miss Trunchbull loses everything and Matilda’s family has to run away of the country.

CHARACTERS
Regarding characters roles we can say that Roald Dahl is representing in this story the topic of “Cenicienta”.




When we see the main character Matilda we can appreciate her as Cinderella, a girl rejected by her family. 








A nice, sweet and protective character as “Miss Honey” 
performing the role of “Fairy godmother"
    


The character of “Miss Agatha Trunchbull” representing evil role “Wicked stepmother’s role”.
That’s why Matilda story can be considered as a fairy Tale moved to 20th century where we can enjoy of wonderful and magic situations.
  

CHILDHOOD IN MATILDA

READING: Matilda’s hobby by the reading she becomes such an intelligent girl that she is able to control her mind and even she can do magic.

LOVE: Miss Honey, a nice and sweet teacher gives her love to Matilda.

AUTHORITARIAN ADULTS: we can find a physical and emotional abuse performed by Miss Agatha Trunchbull.

THE REJECTION that Matilda received by her family.

COMIC TOUCH: Is led by the revenge from Matilda to her parents and from the pupils to Miss Trunchbull.

FINAL MORAL: There are good triumphs over evil. Everybody gets what deserves.