Matilda (novel)

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Image:Matilda.bookcover.amazon.jpg Matilda is a novel by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It was first published in London in 1988 by Jonathan Cape. It was adapted into a film in 1996.

1 Synopsis
2 Similarities with The BFG
3 Trivia
4 ISBN numbers

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Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The parents of Matilda Wormwood care little about her, even though she shows strong signs of being a genius in the making, and they encourage her to watch television instead of reading books, which she prefers. Matilda instead goes to the library and amasses a great deal of knowledge, so that when she starts school, she is miles ahead of everyone else. Her friendly teacher, Miss Honey, appeals to have Matilda moved up, but the evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, refuses.

The Trunchbull, as she is known, is a vicious monster. She keeps children in a horrific torture device called The Chokey or swings them through the air, often without any evidence they have actually committed a crime or simply because she does not like them. The Trunchbull's treatment of her students is nothing short of child abuse and she seems to believe intimidation is the best method of teaching. She says her idea of a perfect school would be "one in which there were no students at all."

Meanwhile, Matilda discovers she has telekinetic powers, a secret which she confides only to Miss Honey. She learns this when her best friend, Lavender puts a newt in Miss Trunchbull's water, and when the Trunchbull blames Matilda for it, Matilda gets so mad she tips the glass over with her eyes. Miss Honey is very curious about Matilda's powers and she takes Matilda to her home, a tiny cottage, where Matilda discovers Miss Honey is extremely poor. Matilda asks why, and Miss Honey explains how, after her father's death, she was left in the care of his sister-in-law, Miss Honey's aunt. Miss Honey's aunt was a horrific child-abuser and made Miss Honey her slave.

Image:MatildaDahl.jpg

Miss Honey's aunt demanded to be paid back for feeding and clothing her niece. Miss Honey was so terrified of her that she agreed. Miss Honey pays her aunt so much that now she lives on the fringe. Matilda asks who the aunt is and Miss Honey reveals that it is none other than Miss Trunchbull. With this information, Matilda formulates a plan as to how she get rid of the Trunchbull for good.

When the Trunchbull investigates Miss Honey's class, Matilda uses her powers to write on the blackboard. She pretends to be Miss Honey's father's spirit writing and demands that Miss Trunchbull give Miss Honey her wages and her father's house. At the sight of seeing this being written as though by an invisible hand, Miss Trunchbull faints.

The day following the chalkboard incident, Miss Trunchbull disappears, abandoning her brother-in-law's house. Also, his will turns up, and it is discovered that Miss Honey is the rightful heir to his property. Thereafter, Miss Honey moves into her father's house and, with the Trunchbull gone, Matilda is moved into the top form. Matilda loses her powers. Miss Honey believes this is because Matilda's brain now has to work harder, with her competing against children twice her age.

Meanwhile, the law catches up with Matilda's father, who has been selling stolen cars. He decides to move the whole family to Spain, but Matilda asks them to let her remain with Miss Honey. They agree, as it is less of a bother, and drive away forever.

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Similarities with The BFG

Matilda shares many features with another of Dahl's books, The BFG:

The protagonist (Matilda/Sophie) is a very young girl with an unhappy upbringing
The protagonist meets a parent figure (Miss Honey/The BFG)
The protagonist discovers that this parent figure is desperately lonely, savagely bullied by others (Miss Trunchbull/the other giants) and has a miserable home (Miss Honey lives in a tiny bare cottage/The BFG lives in a cave and has to eat repulsive snozzcumbers)
Together they use secret powers to play a trick on the parent figure's enemy (Matilda uses telekinesis to throw a newt at Miss Trunchbull/The BFG gives The Fleshlumpeater a nightmare)
In the end they enlist the help of another (Magnus' "ghost"/The Queen of England) to drive the enemy away forever

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