Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is my first Roald Dahl book, and I love it! This highly imaginative book is a gem, full of lessons. I like the little boy Charlie very much, and like most children, he is full of curiosity. He is also obedient, for he listens to his parents, Mr and Mrs Bucket, and his very old grandparents. His family is poor, and the seven of them live in a tiny, worn-down house. It is heartbreaking to read about his family situation.
One day, Mr Willy Wonka, a well-known chocolate maker who has been missing in action for a long, long time, comes back into business. As we know, Mr Wonka makes all sorts of wonderful, out-of-this-world, magical sweets. Other manufacturers had copied his chocolate-making secrets, which is why he closed down and went ‘missing.’ He now protects them by hiring a mysterious workforce when he reopens. The workers are never seen entering or exiting his factory—very strange.
The action starts when Mr Wonka launches a competition with an irresistible prize: a visit IN the factory for five children! These children can see how his secret chocolates are made, and their adult guardians can come with them. To win, each must possess the golden ticket found only in Wonka chocolates! The world, of course, launches into a chocolate-buying frenzy. But Charlie—a chocolate lover—is so poor he can’t afford enough chocolates to have a chance to win a ticket. His family couldn’t even afford a decent meal. What to do?
The day comes when the five winners—all from different backgrounds and with different attitudes—get their tour of the factory. Four of them are spoilt brats in their unique ways, and the fifth one is Charlie (of course he got in, but how?)! What an experience these children and their parents go through (except Charlie, because he brought his grandfather).
Mr Wonka is an enthusiastic person. Lots of exclamation marks (!!) punctuate his sentences, and italics emphasise his points. The children soon discover who the factory workers are. It is interesting to see how the children’s mischief gets them into trouble inside. I love how Roald Dahl weaves the magical story so wonderfully, and it was fun reading about how each ‘weird’ incident during the tour is directly related to the naughtiness of the four obnoxious children.
Watch for the twist toward the end, because there is more to it than just the factory tour. This is an amazing tale.
