Matilda is a renowned children's novel by Roald Dahl, first published in the United Kingdom in 1988. The story unfolds in a small Buckinghamshire village and revolves around Matilda Wormwood, a young girl with extraordinary intelligence and telekinetic powers. Despite her love for reading and remarkable talents, Matilda is overlooked and mistreated by her uncaring parents. At school, Matilda encounters Miss Agatha Trunchbull, a tyrannical headmistress known for her brutal disciplinary methods. However, Matilda's life takes a positive turn when she befriends her kind-hearted teacher, Miss Honey, who recognizes and appreciates her abilities.
Throughout the narrative, Matilda stands up to the injustices she faces from adults, using her wit and eventually her telekinetic powers. Her discovery of these powers are a pivotal moment in the story, enabling her to exact revenge on Miss Trunchbull and assist Miss Honey in reclaiming her rightful inheritance from the cruel headmistress, who also happens to be Miss Honey's aunt. Matilda's story ends with the departure of Miss Trunchbull from the school and the triumph and emotional fulfillment of being allowed to live with Miss Honey, the teacher who has become her true family.
Since its publication, Matilda has been celebrated for its imaginative plot, strong characters, and message of standing up against oppression. The novel has been adapted into various forms, including a feature film directed by Danny DeVito in 1996 and a stage musical written by Dennis Kelly with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, which has been performed in London's West End, on Broadway, and around the world. Acclaimed by critics and embraced by fans, Matilda is widely recognized as one of Dahl's finest works.
Themes
Abuse of authority
Oppression
The power of education and knowledge
Magical realism and discovery of inner strength
Importance of compassion and kindness
Intelligence and creativity as tools for empowerment
Revenge and justice
Childhood innocence and wisdom vs. adult corruption and ignorance
Family dynamics and dysfunction
Found family
The value of individuality
Setting
Matilda is set primarily in a small Buckinghamshire village in the United Kingdom. Roald Dahl creates a world that, while rooted in a recognizably real English locality—mentioned as being 40 minutes by bus from Reading and 8 miles from Aylesbury—veers into the fantastical through its characters and their extraordinary experiences.
Within this larger geographical area, the story unfolds in two specific yet contrasting locations—the Wormwood home, marked by neglect and underappreciation of Matilda’s talents, and Crunchem Hall Primary School, the dominion of the fearsome Miss Trunchbull. The school, an institution that should foster growth and learning, instead becomes a battleground where Matilda and her friends resist the authoritarian regime of their headmistress. Each setting is quintessentially British, evoking the era’s typical middle-class existence but is distinguished by Dahl’s whimsical and sometimes dark twist on reality.
The Wormwoods' eventual flight to Spain adds a brief international dimension to the setting, though the heart of the story remains in the peculiar yet familiar countryside of England. In contrast to the oppressive environments of Matilda’s home and school, Miss Honey’s quaint and impoverished cottage symbolizes warmth, safety, and the potential for a loving familial bond outside Matilda’s biological family.
Characters
Matilda Wormwood: A precocious and exceptionally intelligent girl with the power of telekinesis.
Miss Agatha Trunchbull: The tyrannical headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School, which Matilda attends. She dislikes children.
Miss Jennifer Honey: Matilda's kind and supportive teacher, who becomes her close ally.
Mr. Wormwood: Matilda's dishonest and self-absorbed father.
Mrs. Wormwood: Matilda's neglectful mother, who is more interested in bingo than in her daughter.
Michael Wormwood: Matilda's older brother, who is not very bright.
Lavender: Matilda's classmate and friend, known for her pranks.
Bruce Bogtrotter: A boy in Matilda's class who is famously forced to eat a huge cake by Miss Trunchbull.
Amanda Thripp: A girl in Matilda's class who is punished by Miss Trunchbull for wearing pigtails.
Mrs. Phelps: The kind librarian who nurtures Matilda's love of reading.
Mr. Trilby: The deputy headmaster who becomes head after Miss Trunchbull's departure.
Dr. Magnus Honey: Miss Honey's late father who was killed in suspicious circumstances.
FAQs
What are some themes explored in the book?
Matilda explores themes of rebellion against tyranny, the power of education and literacy, the importance of kindness and compassion, and the struggle for personal justice. It also delves into issues of child abuse and neglect, showcasing the resilience of children in the face of adult wrongdoing.
What powers does the character Matilda have, and how does she discover them?
Matilda discovers she has the power of telekinesis, the ability to move objects with her mind, when she is attacked by Miss Trunchbull. Her anger and sense of injustice trigger the manifestation of this power.
Who is Miss Trunchbull, and what makes her a formidable antagonist in the story?
Miss Trunchbull is the tyrannical headmistress of the school Matilda attends. She is known for her kid-hating demeanor and for using extreme and creative punishments against the students, making her a feared figure in Matilda's world.
How does Matilda's relationship with her parents affect her life and discovery of her powers?
Matilda's parents are emotionally abusive and neglectful, seeing her as a nuisance rather than appreciating her exceptional abilities. This emotional turmoil and lack of familial support are central to her character development and contribute to the discovery and honing of her telekinetic powers as a form of resistance and empowerment.
What role does Miss Honey play in the story, and how does her background story intertwine with Matilda's?
Miss Honey is Matilda's kind and compassionate teacher, who recognizes and appreciates Matilda's extraordinary abilities. She becomes a maternal figure to Matilda. Her own tragic background—which includes suffering abuse at the hands of Miss Trunchbull, who is her aunt—deeply intertwines with Matilda's fight against injustice, leading to a mutually beneficial relationship where both help each other overcome their past traumas.
Matilda's story has been adapted into various films and a musical. How have these adaptations contributed to the legacy of the novel?
The screen and stage adaptations of Matilda, including a film directed by Danny DeVito in 1996 and a hit musical play that ran on both London's West End and Broadway, have broadened the story's reach and impact to new audiences and generations. Receiving critical acclaim and awards, these adaptations have further cemented the novel's status as a beloved, enduring, and influential work of children's literature.
Quotes
“So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.”
“Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable."
“I'm right and you're wrong, I'm big and you're small, and there's nothing you can do about it.”
“It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.”
“All the reading she had done had given her a view of life that they had never seen.”
“If you are good, life is good.”
“What she needed was just one person, one wise and sympathetic grown-up who could help her.”
Quick facts
In his first draft of the novel, Roald Dahl portrayed Matilda as a wicked child, a stark contrast to the final version where she is depicted as a gifted and kind-hearted girl.
Significant changes to the original manuscript were suggested by American editor Stephen Roxburgh, which transformed Matilda into the well-loved story we know today.
The character of Miss Trunchbull was inspired by a "mean and loathsome" candy shop owner whom Dahl encountered in his childhood.
Matilda has been adapted into various forms, including a critically acclaimed film directed by Danny DeVito, a successful stage musical performed on both London's West End and Broadway, and a two-part BBC Radio 4 program.
The novel celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018, for which Quentin Blake, the original illustrator, imagined Matilda as a grown-up in three new drawings.
In 2023, Puffin Books announced it would produce The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, which would keep the author's original texts in print, undisturbed by modernizing language and other changes to suit contemporary sensibilities.
Young Matilda's extraordinary abilities and love for reading were partially inspired by Dahl's own passion for literature and his concern that books were becoming undervalued.
The novel has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide and has seen a spike in sales since 2016, making it the bestselling of Dahl's books in recent years.
Matilda was ranked number 10 in a 2023 BBC poll of The 100 Greatest Children's Books of All Time.
The character Bruce Bogtrotter and his chocolate cake challenge have become iconic, with the recipe for the cake included in Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes.
About the author
Roald Dahl was a British author renowned for his contributions to children's literature. He wrote 16 books for children, including classics as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The BFG. Characterized by their inventive language, dark humor, and inspiring messages, his children's books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide.
Born to Norwegian immigrant parents in Wales in 1916, Dahl lived a life as fascinating as his stories. His first published work, "A Piece of Cake," drew on his experiences as a fighter pilot during World War II and launchd his prolific writing career. In addition to his children's books, Dahl wrote more than 60 short stories for adults, earning him critical acclaim and three Edgar Awards. His tales, known for their unexpected endings and often macabre themes, were a stark contrast to the whimsical worlds he created for children. He also wrote screenplays, most notably for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.
Whether written for youngsters or grown-ups, Dahl's works share an underlying warmth and champion the underdog. Yet, despite his popularity, Dahl's life and works were not without controversy. His criticisms of Israel drew significant backlash, and some of his works were criticized for perpetuating racial and sexist stereotypes. In response to these criticisms, Dahl's family publicly apologized for the hurt caused by his remarks. Dahl died of a rare blood cancer in 1990 at age 74. His unique narrative voice and imaginative storytelling continue to resonate with readers.
