1961

the Empire State Building

Lesson Summary The main conflict is that James is living with aunts who are mean and cruel. James has to decide whether to stay with his aunts, or use magic to escape. James and his new friends encounter many smaller conflicts within the story, which ultimately leads James to a better life full of friendship.

James’ parents are killed by a rhinoceros that escaped from London Zoo. It’s a typical Dahl touch, eccentric, creative, brilliant, spooky and just a little bit insane.

Still, it has been banned for being too scary for the targeted age group, mysticism, sexual inferences, profanity, racism, references to tobacco and alcohol, and claims that it promotes disobedience, drugs, and communism.

This book about a girl in sixth grade struggling with questions of religion and her experience going through puberty has been banned and challenged in numerous school districts because the book is supposedly sexually offensive and amoral.

In the novel Matilda is abused by her parents and Miss Trunchball, the school principle. Luckily for Dahl, although Matilda has been criticized and avoided by parents, the book has never been officially banned or listed on the American Library Association’s banned books list.

Matilda teaches us that people can escape through reading, as she struggles to understand or be understood by her own family. A great quote from the book reads, The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.

Type of Hero Her greatest gift is her genius intelligence, and she also has telekinetic powers. In both versions, she is the daughter of Harry and Zinnia Wormwood, who treat her abusively and ignore her intellectual gifts. She is also the sister of Michael, who does the same.

Life Lessons Item #1: Life is not fair. You can’t help but be astonished at the unfairness of Matilda’s life. This unwanted and inconvenient baby from virtually illiterate parents who never had any love for her. Or even understood her nor cared to do so.

Matilda teaches us that it isn’t okay to be bullied and manipulated. She is brave and stands up for herself against people who are way elder, larger and stronger than her, which includes her parents and Trunchbull. She helps Miss Honey find the courage to stand up to her evil aunt Miss Trunchbull and reclaim her home.

The main theme of Roald Dahl’s Matilda is that good triumphs over evil. It’s a David and Goliath story of the seemingly weaker underlings triumphing over the bully. The bully in this story is the aptly named Mrs.

Matilda is a reminder that young girls do have power to control their own education, and reading is a big part of that. Matilda takes charge of her education, first by reading, and then demanding to her parents that they should send her to school so she can learn from new books.

MATILDA WORMWOOD is a genius – her brain fizzes and bubbles with brilliance. She outwits her gruesome parents, and even her terrifying head teacher, the monstrous Miss Trunchbull. YOU TOO can baffle, bewilder and bamboozle your friends and family!