More about Roald Dahl's children literature

This is more of an article about Roald Dahl's children literature. It comes from the following website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl#Children.27s_fiction

Dahl also features in his books characters that are very fat, usually children. Augustus Gloop, Bruce Bogtrotter, and Bruno Jenkins are a few of these characters, although an enormous woman named Aunt Sponge is featured in James and The Giant Peach. All of these characters (with the possible exception of Bruce Bogtrotter) are either villains or simply unpleasant gluttons. They are usually punished for this: Augustus Gloop drinks from Willy Wonka's chocolate river, disregarding the adults who tell him not to, and falls in, getting sucked up a pipe and nearly being turned into fudge. Bruce Bogtrotter steals cake from the evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and is forced to eat a gigantic chocolate cake in front of the school. Bruno Jenkins is turned into a mouse by witches and, it is speculated, possibly disowned or even killed by his parents because of this. Aunt Sponge is flattened by a giant peach.

Roald Dahl's Children's Fiction

This is part of an article about Roald Dahl's children's stories. Dahl happens to be one of my favorite authors of children's literature. I got this article from the following web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl#Children.27s_fiction

Dahl's children's works are usually told from the point of view of a child. They typically involve adult villainesses who hate and mistreat children, and feature at least one "good" adult to counteract the villain(s). These stock characters are possibly a reference to the abuse that Dahl stated that he experienced in the boarding schools he attended. They usually contain a lot of black humour and grotesque scenarios, including gruesome violence. The Witches, George's Marvelous Medicine and Matilda are examples of this formula. The BFG follows it in a more analogous way with the good giant (the BFG or "Big Friendly Giant") representing the "good adult" archetype and the other giants being the "bad adults". This formula is also somewhat evident in Dahl's film script for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Class-conscious themes – ranging from the thinly veiled to the blatant – also surface in works such as Fantastic Mr Fox and Danny, the Champion of the World.

January 5 1994

The following is a story that I wrote when I was five:

Once upon a time, there was a big old mean big bad wolf. There was one pig. Then there was two pigs. Then there was three pigs. Then another pig came. Then another big bad wolf came and it was nice. The mama pig came. Then the daddy pig came. The brother pig came, then the sister pig came. And he said "Why you!"

The End

I am assuming that this is some version of the "Three Little Pigs" where another wolf steps in and defeats the "big bad wolf." The "old mean big bad wolf" could be considered the evil figure of the story who is trying to bring harm to the pigs. All of the pigs would be the characters that are in need of rescue, and the "nice" big bad wolf could be considered the hero. I believe that it is the nice wolf that says "Why you!" to the bad wolf in order to get his attention and let him know that he won't be causing any harm to the pigs. Apparently they have had some type of conflict in the past and doesn't seem surprised that it is the bad wolf who is the one about to cause trouble.

"Snow White"

My favorite version of “Snow White” is the Scottish Gaelic version entitled “Lasair Gheug, the King of Ireland’s Daughter.” An eachrais ùrlair, a malicious old woman, and Lasair Gheug’s stepmother plan to kill her so that the stepmother can inherit Lasair Gheug’s share of her father’s fortune. They make Lasair Gheug swear “three baptismal oaths” each time they kill one of the father’s loved possessions and blame her for it. They do this in order to get the king to kill his daughter, each time they are unsuccessful. Lasiar Gheug’s father takes her to the woods and cuts off three of her fingers, one for each of his possessions that he lost, and left her with gold and silver to survive on her own. Lasiar Gheug goes on to have three sons that she requests not to be christened. I believe this is because she does not want her children to have to go through the pain and suffering of someone trying to have them killed in the same way she was. This would be impossible because they would not be taught or believe the “three baptismal oaths” and therefore not have to abide by them.

Outside Reading List

Book 1: ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder Pictures by: Garth Williams
Picture Book?: No
Posting date and/or number: April 16


Book 2: MATILDA
Author: Roald Dahl Illustrated by: Quentin Blake
Picture Book?: No
Posting date and/or number: April 17


Book 3: LOVE YOU FOREVER
Author: Robert Munsch Illustrated by: Sheila MaGraw
Picture Book?: Yes
Posting date and/or number: April 18


Book 4: SLEEPING BEAUTY
Author: Walt Disney Illustrated by: Ron Dias
Picture Book?: Yes
Posting date and/or number: April 19


Book 5: LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder Pictures by: Garth Williams
Picture Book?: No
Posting date and/or number: April 20


Book 6: THE ALAMO CAT
Author: Rita Kerr
Picture Book?: No
Posting date and/or number: April 21


Book 7: THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
Author: Watty Piper Illustrated by: George and Doris Hauman
Picture Book?: Yes
Posting date and/or number: April 22


Book 8: CORDUROY
Author: Don Freeman
Picture Book?: Yes
Posting date and/or number: April 23


Book 9: THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
Author: Margery Williams Illustrated by: William Nicholson
Picture Book?: No
Posting date and/or number: April 24


Book 10: THE MITTEN
Author: Jan Brett
Picture Book?: Yes
Posting date and/or number: April 25