Characters

This list includes Matilda’s family as well as her friends and teachers at school. While some of them appear as mere side characters, others play more important roles. Each has a voice of their own and offers differing opinions and perspectives.

Matilda Wormwood

Matilda is a 5-year-old girl belonging to the Wormwood family in England. She is extremely smart for her age and is capable of reading books at a college level (such as ‘Great Expectations‘ by Charles Dickens) even before she enters school. She can also perform complicated math problems within her head. However, all of this intelligence and vivid imagination do not make her egoistic.

On the other hand, she is humble and modest. Matilda is helpful, especially when she finds that people require assistance. This is why she decides to help Miss Honey when she learns about her pathetic situation. Somehow, Matilda also has a highly developed sensibility and value system that allows her to tell right from wrong. As a result, she takes matters into her own hands whenever she sees injustice.

Mr. Wormwood

Mr. Wormwood, Matilda’s father, is nothing short of a crook and a liar. He is a car salesman who tricks people into buying useless cars and regularly deals with criminals. He does not set much in store for Matilda and thinks that she is a naughty child who needs to be put back in her place.

Mrs. Wormwood

Mrs. Wormwood, Matilda’s mother, is vain and superficial. She is an extremely neglectful mother and does not care for Matilda. All she cares about is her looks, the television, and playing Bingo with her friends. 

Michael Wormwood

Michael Wormwood is Matilda’s older brother. Next to Matilda, he is quite ordinary. Michael is groomed by his father to take over the family business someday. As such, he is given preferential treatment by his parents.

Miss Jennifer Honey

Miss Honey is a kind and gentle teacher at Matilda’s school, Crunchem. She has a pale, oval Madonna-like face, and she rarely smiles. However, she has one quality going for her as a teacher – all of the kids in the school adore her. She is also a great teacher; she can help students spell complicated words such as “difficulty” in just a week. However, as the story progresses, we learn that Miss Honey is a victim of abuse. She is broken by Miss Trunchbull and her heinous activities and is no longer capable of standing up for herself. Despite this, she stands up for Matilda wherever possible and nurtures and cares for her almost like a mother. She is very similar to Matilda in several ways. She was treated badly by her family and likes limericks and poetry. She also shares Matilda’s sense of righteousness and fairness for the world.

Miss Agatha Trunchbull

Miss Trunchbull is the major antagonist of the story. She is a mean and unpleasant woman and the tyrannical headmistress of the school in which Matilda studies. She hates children and is extremely vocal about her wish to eliminate the whole lot of them. She terrorizes Crunchem, and doles out harsh punishments to students, including throwing kids over the fence by their hair, locking them up in the “chokey” and force-feeding them. Miss Trunchbull is described as having an obstinate chin, a cruel mouth, and small, arrogant eyes. She was never a good teacher, and it is speculated that the only reason she continues to have a job is that people are too afraid to stand up to her. Later on, we find out that she is also a criminal who most likely murdered her brother-in-law and swindled her niece.

Lavender

Lavender is a student at Matilda’s school who shares Matilda’s adventurous and rebellious spirit. She is one of the few students who can read and write in Matilda’s class. She quickly becomes friends with Matilda and pulls a courageous prank on Miss Trunchbull in one of their classes.

Hortensia

Hortensia is an older student at Matilda’s school. She is the one who tells Matilda and Lavender about Miss Trunchbull and her atrocities. Hortensia also becomes a sort of a hero to Matilda because of the kind of pranks that she pulls on Miss Trunchbull.

Bruce Bogtrotter

Bruce Bogtrotter is a slightly older child who steals cake from the kitchen. Miss Trunchbull makes him eat an entire cake 18 inches in diameter as punishment. However, Bruce stands up to Miss Trunchbull by finishing off the entire cake without making himself sick. 

Amanda Thripp

Amanda Thripp is a young girl who comes to school wearing pigtails. She is thrown over the fence by her pigtails by the threatening Miss Trunchbull. 

Mrs. Phelps

Mrs. Phelps is the librarian at the local library that Matilda visits every day before she begins school. Mrs. Phelps gives her some important advice on reading and helps her pick from several classic novels. She does not question Matilda too much about her genius. Instead, she simply allows the books in the library to work their magic on Matilda. 

Fred

Fred is Matilda’s neighbor. He loans his parrot to Matilda in exchange for her allowance.

Nigel, Rupert, Eric, and Wilfred

Nigel, Rupert, Eric, and Wilfred are Matilda’s classmates. Nigel is punished for having dirty hands and a dirty shirt and for talking back to Miss Trunchbull.

Rupert’s only crime is to possess nice, long blonde hair, which Miss Trunchbull despises. When he is unable to answer any of her academic questions, he is punished by Miss Trunchbull.

Eric is a brave little kid who stands up to Miss Trunchbull and pays dearly for it.

Wilfred is Matilda’s classmate. Miss Trunchbull picks on him before the chalk starts writing by itself on the blackboard.

Mr. Trilby, Miss Plimsoll, and Matron

Mr. Trilby is the vice president of the school. He is put in charge of the school after Miss Trunchbull leaves. 

Miss Plimsoll is the teacher of the highest level of class at Crunchem. She teaches Matilda when she is moved to the appropriate level.

Matron is the school nurse who treats sick and injured children. She looks after Miss Trunchbull after she faints.

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