In “Matilda,” Roald Dahl weaves a rich tapestry of themes, writing styles, and symbols to create a compelling narrative. The themes of the power of books, righteousness, and magic are central to Matilda’s journey, reflecting her struggle against neglect and cruelty. Dahl’s writing style combines simplicity with whimsical charm, making the story accessible and engaging. Symbols such as books, the chalkboard, and Miss Trunchbull’s house enhance the narrative, adding depth to Matilda’s character and the story’s underlying messages.
Themes
In this section, we will be exploring some significant themes within Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,” including the power of books, righteousness, magic, education, and resilience.
The Power of Books
Right from the beginning, we are told that Matilda loves reading. When she finishes reading the one book in her house, she asks for more books from her father. However, Matilda’s parents do not think much of reading. They also do not understand the importance of education or the power of knowledge. They prefer to watch television instead. As such, the contract between those who watch television and those who read books is stark in the book. Matilda, a voracious reader, is smart, witty, and highly resourceful. However, the rest of her family is vain and superficial. Not only this but her parents are also shown as crooks who deal with criminals and commit fraud.
Righteousness
Matilda seems to know what is right and what is wrong without her parents teaching her. When she finds out about her father’s (Mr. Wormwood) car business, she understands that he is tricking people. She calls him out on this. However, when she is not listened to, she pulls out her own brand of justice in the form of pranks. This theme continues even when she learns about the plight of Miss Honey. Deeply disturbed by the injustice of the situation with Miss Honey and her aunt, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda decides to take matters into her own hands. She uses a deep-rooted sense of righteousness, resilience, and creativity to help her teacher, Miss Honey, win back her inheritance.
Magic
There is a touch of the supernatural in “Matilda.” The protagonist of the story can move objects with her mind. Miss Honey speculates that this phenomenon occurs since Matilda’s brain is not challenged enough to use up all of the brain juices. As a result, she can perform what is generally known as telekinesis. In the novel, these acts are termed “miracles.” These miracles disappear when Matilda’s mind is challenged with schoolwork in an advanced class. In a way, the miracles performed by Matilda teach children to use their minds in productive ways.
Education and Intelligence
In “Matilda,” education is portrayed as a powerful tool for empowerment and transformation. Matilda’s intelligence and love for learning set her apart from her family and peers, allowing her to achieve extraordinary things. Miss Honey, Matilda’s kind and supportive teacher, represents the positive impact of nurturing intelligence and education. The contrast between Matilda’s intellectual curiosity and her parents’ disdain for education underscores the novel’s message about the importance of valuing and fostering knowledge.
Resilience and Perseverance
Matilda exemplifies resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. Despite the neglect and mistreatment from her family and the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull, she remains determined to better her situation. Matilda’s resilience is further highlighted by her clever pranks and eventual triumphs over the injustices she faces. Her perseverance in helping Miss Honey regain her rightful inheritance showcases her unwavering commitment to justice and her ability to overcome challenges with creativity and strength.
Analysis of Key Moments
- Matilda’s Early Genius: Matilda speaks like an adult at age five and teaches herself to read. This is key because it establishes her exceptional intelligence and sets her apart from her neglectful family, highlighting her potential.
- Discovering the Library: Matilda reads classic novels at the local library with the help of a kind librarian. This moment marks the beginning of Matilda’s love for books and self-education, providing her with an escape and a means to develop her intellect.
- Calling Out Her Father: Matilda understands her father is a dishonest car salesman and confronts him about his thieving ways. This showcases Matilda’s moral integrity and bravery, despite her young age and the dismissive, abusive nature of her parents.
- Pranks on Her Father: Her father’s anger leads Matilda to retaliate by playing pranks on him. These actions demonstrate her resourcefulness and cleverness in dealing with unfair treatment, further emphasizing her determination to fight injustice in her own way.
- Meeting Miss Honey: At school, Matilda meets a caring and loving teacher, Miss Honey, who tries to advance her to a higher class. This moment introduces a positive adult influence in Matilda’s life, offering her the support and recognition she lacks at home.
- Conflict with Miss Trunchbull: The headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, denies Matilda’s advancement and is abusive towards students. This sets up a major antagonist in the story, highlighting the oppressive environment Matilda must navigate and overcome.
- Lavender’s Prank: Matilda’s friend, Lavender, pranks Miss Trunchbull by putting a newt in her water. This moment is pivotal as it leads to Matilda’s first public display of her telekinetic powers, showcasing her growing frustration with injustice.
- Telekinetic Display: Angered by the false accusation, Matilda uses her mind to tip the glass of water and the newt onto Miss Trunchbull. This key moment reveals Matilda’s supernatural ability, adding a magical element to her fight against oppression.
- Confiding in Miss Honey: Matilda confides in Miss Honey about her powers, and Miss Honey reveals her own troubles with Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey tells Matilda that she is poor because Miss Trunchbull, her aunt, has taken away her inheritance. This disclosure provides context for Miss Honey’s plight and motivates Matilda to take action against Miss Trunchbull. This deepens their bond and sets the stage for Matilda to use her powers for a greater cause.
- Writing the Message: Matilda uses her telekinesis to write a threatening message to Miss Trunchbull on the blackboard. This is a climactic moment where Matilda actively confronts the antagonist, leading to Miss Trunchbull’s departure and Miss Honey reclaiming her inheritance.
- Advancement and Loss of Powers: Matilda is moved to an advanced class and loses her powers. This moment symbolizes her intellectual fulfillment, showing that her supernatural abilities were a manifestation of her underutilized brainpower.
- Parents’ Departure: Matilda’s parents suddenly decide to flee to Spain due to her father’s criminal activities. This critical moment allows Matilda to choose her future, asking to stay with Miss Honey, which results in her gaining a loving and supportive guardian, and completing her journey from neglect to a nurturing environment.
Style, Tone, and Figurative Language
In “Matilda,” Roald Dahl employs a distinct writing style that enhances the storytelling and appeals to readers of all ages. Below are the top three most important styles used in the book.
Simple, Direct, and Whimsical
Roald Dahl’s writing style in “Matilda” is characterized by its simplicity, directness, and whimsicality, making it accessible and engaging for young readers. Dahl employs a conversational tone, often breaking the fourth wall to address the reader directly, which creates a sense of intimacy and involvement. His use of vivid descriptions and imaginative scenarios enhances the fantastical elements of the story, such as Matilda’s telekinetic powers.
The language is playful, with a mix of humor and absurdity, particularly in the exaggerated depictions of antagonistic characters like Miss Trunchbull and Matilda’s parents. Dahl’s narrative is brisk and tightly paced, ensuring that the plot moves swiftly and maintains the reader’s interest. The use of short chapters and frequent dialogue also contributes to the book’s readability, making it an ideal choice for young audiences transitioning to chapter books. Consider the below quote:
Nearly every weekday afternoon Matilda was left alone in the house. Her brother (five years older than her) went to school. Her father went to work and her mother went out playing bingo in a town eight miles away. Mrs. Wormwood was hooked on bingo and played it five afternoons a week.
The Reader of Books, “Matilda”
Light and Dark Tone
The tone of “Matilda” is a blend of lightheartedness and seriousness, balancing the whimsical elements of the story with underlying themes of injustice and resilience. Dahl employs a humorous and often sarcastic tone, particularly in his portrayal of the villainous characters, whose absurdly evil behavior is depicted in an almost cartoonish manner. This humor serves to mitigate the darker aspects of the story, such as the neglect and abuse Matilda suffers.
Despite the humorous undertones, there is also a tone of earnestness and sincerity, especially in the moments highlighting Matilda’s intelligence, kindness, and moral integrity. The contrast between the light and dark elements in the tone underscores the story’s themes and adds depth to the narrative, making it appealing to both children and adults.
Creative and Impactful Language
Dahl’s use of figurative language in “Matilda” is both creative and impactful, enhancing the story’s vivid imagery and emotional resonance. Similes and metaphors are frequently used to create striking comparisons and bring characters and scenes to life. For example, Miss Trunchbull is described in hyperbolic terms, likened to a monstrous figure, which exaggerates her malevolence and adds a fantastical element to her character. Personification is also employed, particularly in describing inanimate objects or settings, giving them a life of their own and contributing to the whimsical atmosphere.
Dahl’s use of onomatopoeia and playful language further engages the reader’s senses, making the narrative more dynamic and engaging. These figurative language techniques not only enrich the storytelling but also aid in conveying the emotions and experiences of the characters, making the fantastical elements of the story feel more tangible and real.
Key Symbols
In this section, we will be exploring some important symbols and motifs within Roald Dahl’s story of “Matilda,” including books, the chalkboard, Miss Trunchbull’s house, Matilda’s powers, the chocolate cake, and the newt.
Books
Books symbolize knowledge, empowerment, and escape in “Matilda.” For Matilda, reading is a means to expand her intellect and escape from her neglectful and abusive home environment. The books she borrows from the library open up new worlds for her, providing solace and inspiration. They represent her thirst for knowledge and her defiance against her parents’ ignorance and disdain for education. Moreover, books symbolize the transformative power of education, as they enable Matilda to develop her extraordinary abilities and eventually find a way out of her oppressive circumstances. The contrast between Matilda’s love for books and her parents’ preference for television highlights the divide between enlightenment and ignorance.
The Chalkboard
The chalkboard in Miss Trunchbull’s office is a powerful symbol of justice and empowerment. When Matilda uses her telekinetic powers to write a threatening message to Miss Trunchbull on the chalkboard, it represents her reclaiming power and fighting against the injustice faced by Miss Honey. The chalkboard, typically a tool for teaching and authority, becomes a medium through which Matilda exacts her righteous vengeance. This act not only scares Miss Trunchbull into leaving but also symbolizes Matilda’s ability to confront and overcome tyranny with her intellect and newfound abilities.
Miss Trunchbull’s House
Miss Trunchbull’s house, formerly Miss Honey’s family home, symbolizes lost innocence and stolen heritage. It stands as a physical representation of Miss Trunchbull’s oppressive control over Miss Honey’s life and the injustices she has endured. When Matilda helps Miss Honey reclaim her house, it symbolizes the restoration of justice and the triumph of good over evil. The house’s return to Miss Honey marks the beginning of a new chapter in her life, where she can finally live free from her aunt’s tyranny and regain her rightful inheritance.
Matilda’s Powers
Matilda’s telekinetic powers symbolize her untapped potential and the extraordinary capabilities that lie within every child. These powers emerge as a response to the extreme neglect and abuse she faces, representing her inner strength and resilience. They also symbolize the idea that intelligence and creativity can be powerful tools for overcoming adversity. As Matilda gains control over her powers, it reflects her growing confidence and ability to effect change in her world. Ultimately, when her powers fade after she is placed in an advanced class, it signifies that her intellectual needs are finally being met, and she no longer needs to rely on supernatural means to cope with her environment.
The Chocolate Cake
When Bruce Bogtrotter is caught stealing from the kitchen, he is made to eat an entire chocolate cake by Principal Trunchbull. While this was supposed to be an act of public embarrassment for Bruce, it turns into a source of humiliation for Miss Trunchbull herself. This is because Bruce can finish off the entire cake without becoming nauseated as Headmistress Miss Trunchbull had hoped. Thus, the chocolate cake becomes a symbol of hope in the face of adversity for the students. It tells them that they are capable of standing up to the terror of Miss Trunchbull’s reign.
The Newt
Lavender pranks Miss Trunchbull by putting a newt into her glass of water. The newt in the water is extremely important as it exposes Miss Trunchbull in two ways. Firstly, it demonstrates her lack of knowledge, as she is unable to identify a newt. Secondly, it also shows that Miss Trunchbull is not as frightening as she appears to be. She is afraid of a tiny reptile such as a newt – a reptile that Lavender had no trouble picking up with her bare hands. Not only this, but it is with the incidence of the newt that Matilda’s powers are finally awakened. Matilda then uses her powers to correct injustices.
Personal Perspective
Reading “Matilda” as an adult, I find Roald Dahl’s novel to be a timeless masterpiece that resonates with readers of all ages. The story’s charm lies in its ability to blend whimsical fantasy with profound themes of intelligence, justice, and resilience. Matilda herself is an inspiring protagonist, embodying the potential that lies within every child, regardless of their circumstances. Her love for books and self-education speaks to the transformative power of knowledge, a theme that deeply resonates with me.
What I appreciate most about Dahl’s writing is his unapologetic critique of the adults in Matilda’s life, particularly her neglectful parents and the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull. Through these characters, Dahl highlights the absurdity and cruelty that can exist in the adult world, while also showcasing the purity and righteousness of a child’s perspective. The exaggerated villainy of Miss Trunchbull is both horrifying and darkly humorous, serving as a perfect foil to Matilda’s ingenuity and kindness.
The use of magical realism, with Matilda’s telekinetic powers, adds a delightful layer to the narrative. These powers are a brilliant metaphor for the untapped potential within Matilda, and by extension, within all children. It is a reminder of the extraordinary capabilities that can emerge when one’s mind is challenged and nurtured.
The ending, where Matilda finds a loving home with Miss Honey, is heartwarming and satisfying. It reinforces the idea that intelligence and kindness will eventually triumph over cruelty and ignorance. However, it also raises thought-provoking questions about the societal systems that allow such injustices to persist in the first place. Overall, “Matilda” is a powerful, engaging, and thought-provoking read that continues to inspire and entertain. It is a book that champions the underdog and celebrates the triumph of intellect and goodness, making it a perennial favorite in children’s literature.
