Lip Lit: My Little Dahl-ings
Roald Dahl needs no introduction. There is little left to say that hasn’t already been said about this much-loved children’s writer, however as this year marks not only the twenty-first anniversary of his death but also fifty years since the publication of James and the Giant Peach, I am compelled to say something. It would be stating the obvious to marvel at the timelessness of his novels, or his witty language, or his ability to engage children in his works, even fifty years after his words were released into the world. So instead of sending another article singing Roald Dahl’s praises out into cyberspace, I’m going to indulge myself by reminiscing about my five favourite characters from Roald Dahl’s stories.
Fifth Place: Willy Wonka
There are oh-so-many reasons why Mr Willy Wonka comes in fifth on my list. For starters, he is a child’s dream: an adult who owns a chocolate factory. He is proof that becoming an adult is not a jail sentence to lack of adventure and that it is possible to graduate through various levels of education with some sense of imagination still intact. Willy Wonka is reclusive and likes to be different. As a writer, I myself am also reclusive and different. And it is hard not to picture Willy Wonka as Roald Dahl’s alter ego.
Fourth Place: Reverend Lee
Reverend Lee, the protagonist of The Vicar of Nibbleswick, is delectable. His dyslexia as a child re-emerges in adulthood, causing him to randomly say words backwards, such as dog for God. There is just something about a Reverend who has such good intentions, yet manages to inadvertently insult his entire parish. The story also has my favourite passage ofall time from Roald Dahl’s works. The Reverend, when speaking in front of the congregation, says:
The road outside our little church is exceedingly narrow and, as you know, there is hardly room for two vehicles to pass each other. Therefore I feel it only right to ask members of the congregation not to krap along the front of the church before the service. It is not only unsightly but also dangerous. If you all krap at the same time along the side of the road you could be hit by a passing car at any time. There is plenty of room for you to do this alongside the church on the south side of you feel you must.
A passage like this causes children to roll on the floor in hysterics for a good half hour, and adults to discreetly smirk behind their hands, secretly wishing they could roll on the floor and laugh too.
Third Place: Mr Fox
Mr Fox is everything a fox should be: clever, cunning, daring and excitable. These are all traits humans despise in foxes, but Mr Fox is impossible to dislike. Possibly because he is trying to outsmart three of the most horrible farmers alive, or because Dahl makes Mr Fox so human-like. Mr Fox is childlike in his qualities and logical and intelligent when dealing with the farmers. He is loved by children for being childlike and loathed by adults for his ability to balance childish antics with good decision-making skills.
Second Place: Grandmama
She is the epitome of all grandmothers. Grandmama from The Witches is the universal grandmother. She is old, but not so old she isn’t fond of adventure. She tells great stories, which are not quite believable, but she insists they’re true so you have no choice but to believe her. She accepts her grandson has been turned into a mouse, and loves him just the same for it. And she gets so over-excited at the thought of hunting down the witches and turning them all into mice that it’s clear she’s reverted back to being a child in her old age.
First Place: Matilda
It is probably an obvious first choice, but Matilda is absolutely my number one top favourite character from Roald Dahl’s stories. She is a small child who is a girl, and therefore in one of the weakest positions in society, particularly due to the way her parents treat her. Despite this, she teaches herself to read and cuts through books like Great Expectations and Tess of the D’Urbervilles, two books I only read this year. Matilda is merely four at the time. Due to her extraordinary amount of brain power, she can even make things move with her eyes. There is nothing to dislike about Matilda, yet her character is still believable, probably due to her rotten parents and rotten brother. I always wanted to be like Matilda despite her family, because she is brilliant, but has very little idea of how brilliant she actually is.
That is in fact the magic of all Roald Dahl’s stories and characters: they are brilliant creations, without knowing just how brilliant they are.
