Review

The novel is the last long children’s book written by Roald Dahl. It features a sprightly young girl named Matilda Wormwood, who overcomes tremendous difficulties through her wit and grit. The character is a role model for young children, especially young girls who read the book.

The Female Protagonist 

Matilda is one of the few female protagonists in Roald Dahl’s stories. She is a witty and plucky 5-year-old girl who is left to fend for herself in various ways. Her self-centered parents are neglectful and, at times, abusive toward her, but such annoyances do not faze the young girl. Instead, she stands up for herself through her inner resources and, of course, practical jokes. learns from her family’s mistakes and grows up to be quite different from them. Matilda is a super-nerd. She can read at an extremely young age, and no book is too daunting for her. Matilda is also a staunch upholder of justice – taking matters into her own hands when the adults in her life are of no use. The fact that she has the magical ability to move objects with her mind is the frosting on the cake for this protagonist.

As a result, Matilda becomes a character that readers would look up to. Children who read the novel wish to be like Matilda in every way – which is something that Roald Dahl wanted to accomplish in his novel in the first place. Matilda inspires children with the fascination to read, to perform exceptionally in academics, and, of course, to be fair and just in all of their activities.

Matilda as a Feminist Novel

Published in 1988, ‘Matilda‘ has been influenced by the political climate of the 1970s and the 1980s in several ways. The novel itself can be seen as a byproduct of the feminist movement of the 1970s. With an exceptional young girl who saves the day, the novel carries strong undertones of feminism. 

Several of the important characters are also female, with the antagonist being the former hammer-throwing champion, Agatha Trunchbull, and Matilda’s mentor being sweet Miss Honey. Both of these women demonstrate different ideas of feminism. While the diabolical Trunchbull is fiercely independent, confident, and intimidating (all qualities that are generally not depicted in women), Miss Honey shows strength, courage, and saintly patience despite having fallen into hard times. 

A Reflection of the Times

The story of ‘Matilda‘ is a reflection of the times that it was written in. The education system mirrors what is seen in English public schools around the late 1980s. This is why corporal punishment is banned in Matilda’s school as well – something which is lamented sorely by the big bully, Miss Trunchbull. 

People across the world were also embracing television in the 1980s, and television made a big appearance in ‘Matilda‘. It is used as a foil for books and shown as a thing of evil. 

Dynamic Characters 

Roald Dahl is known for writing memorable characters in all of his books. The characters in ‘Matilda‘ are no less. They are as varied and as dynamic as one could hope for in a children’s book, and each of them has vivid descriptions attached to them. This helps children create a concrete image of the characters in their minds. Further, the description of each character matches their personality in some form or another. For instance, while the gentle and kind Miss Honey possessed a pale oval face, the kid-hating terror of a headmistress had mean and arrogant eyes and an obstinate chin. 

Although ‘Matilda‘ is a children’s book with a simple plotline, the characters undergo development in the story. The protagonist, for instance, is a superhuman genius and a true pupil, learning about herself from beginning to end. She understands more about the world and the people around her, learning compassion and modesty along the way despite her hapless parents and a busty nightmare of a school Principal. 

Miss Honey is another character who transforms herself. With the help of Matilda’s remarkable power, Miss Honey gains back control of her life to such an extent that she is capable of bringing up Matilda all by herself when she is left on her doorstep by Matilda’s parents.

Playful Writing Style

The writing style of Matilda is playful and engaging. Roald Dahl has mentioned how writing for children can be challenging. This is because he believes it is easy for them to get bored. As a result, he introduces several plot points throughout the novel, including real feelings and emotional truth, to keep things moving at an intriguing pace. 

The story is narrated from the first-person point of view of an unnamed narrator. The narrator helps to add flavor to the story. This is because, unlike other novels, the narrator is not a silent observer. Instead, they side with Matilda very often and provide their own perspectives and innate predilection on situations.

Roald Dahl uses hyperbole in his novels to grab the attention of his young audience. As such, ‘Matilda‘ is littered with descriptions that are usually exaggerated.

The author has provided a satisfying conclusion to the novel. Not only is the biggest bully in Matilda’s life taken care of, but Matilda is also allowed to stay with her benevolent teacher, Miss Honey, for the rest of her life. She satisfies her thirst for knowledge by moving up to an advanced class and, as the cliché goes, lives happily ever after. This can be thought of as a didactic conclusion in a way because it teaches children that things will go right for them if they do the right thing, just like they did for Matilda.