In conclusion, by creating villainous adult characters in such a way, Dahl establishes a complicated connection between secrecy and knowledge as the narrative unfolds. Dahl differs from other writers of children’s fiction in one crucial aspect. Where texts, myths, authors, parents, and guardians in other authors’ works perpetuate a safe mythology about adults, Dahl’s narrators promise to disclose their darker versions. This practice is suitably complemented by juxtaposing a benevolent adult who serves as a guardian and guide to the hero. It is an effective literary model that succeeds by inviting the readers into the intimate space of the narrator, where, they will eventually be enlightened.
Works Cited
• Cockburn, Lyn. “How Do You Spell Book-Burning?” Herizons Fall 1996: 41.
• Hunt, Peter, ed. International Companion Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. London: Routledge, 2004.
• “I’ll Never Be as Good as Dahl; What’s the Connection between Little Britain and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Roald Dahl Fanatic David Walliams Explains How He’s Always Aspired to Match the Cardiff-Born Author’s Dark, Absurdist Heights.”Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) 21 Apr. 2012: 8.
• Mitchell, Jennifer. “”A Sort of Mouse-Person”: Radicalizing Gender in the Witches.”Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 23.1 (2012): 25+.
• Sawyer, Miranda. “Dark Imaginings: Burton Takes a Bitter-Sweet View of Dahl’s Weird Sugar World.” New Statesman (1996) 1 Aug. 2005: 34.
• Sharp, Michael D., ed. Popular Contemporary Writers. Vol. 4. New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference, 2006.
• Wolf, Shelby A. Interpreting Literature with Children. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.