Matilda: A Clever Girl’s Story of Books and Pranks
Matilda: A Clever Girl’s Story
Matilda’s Love for Reading and Her Difficult Family
Matilda is a very smart girl, but her parents don’t care about her talents. While her father, Mr. Wormwood, cheats people by selling bad cars, and her mother plays bingo all day, Matilda learns to read on her own by the age of three. She visits the library and reads famous books. When her parents don’t support her love for reading, Matilda plays tricks on them. First, she glues her father’s hat to his head, and later she puts her mother’s hair dye in his hair tonic, turning his hair a strange color.
Mr. Wormwood lowers the mileage on the cars to make them seem newer and adds sawdust to the engines to hide any strange noises or problems. He also covers up scratches and rust with paint to make the cars look better than they really are, cheating his customers into paying more for cars in poor condition.
Matilda at School: Miss Honey vs. Miss Trunchbull
At school, Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey, quickly sees how smart she is, especially in reading and math. Miss Honey is kind and amazed by Matilda, but the school’s headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, is mean and strict. Matilda finds comfort in her books and clever pranks, as her intelligence is ignored at home but appreciated by Miss Honey at school.
The difference between Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull is fascinating. Miss Honey is kind and caring, while Miss Trunchbull is strict and scary.
Matilda’s Pranks and Her Impact
Matilda is a very smart little girl. Even though her family does not care about her, she teaches herself how to read at a very young age. By the age of three, she is already reading and learning on her own. Matilda loves books and goes to the library to read more advanced stories. She is also very clever and plays pranks on people who are mean to her, like her parents. Matilda knows that she is different from other kids, but she doesn’t let this stop her.
Matilda’s Family:
- Mr. Wormwood: Matilda’s father is a dishonest car salesman. He tricks people into buying bad cars by lying about them. He is rude and often yells at Matilda, calling her “stupid” and “troublesome”. He doesn’t understand why she likes books and thinks watching TV is better.
- Mrs. Wormwood: Matilda’s mother only cares about watching TV and playing bingo. She ignores Matilda and doesn’t care about her daughter’s education. Like Mr. Wormwood, she thinks Matilda is just a silly little girl.
- Michael Wormwood: Matilda’s older brother, but he is not very smart. He is the favorite child in the family, especially to their father. He doesn’t really care about Matilda or notice her much, and they don’t have a close relationship.
Important People in Matilda’s Life:
- Miss Honey: Matilda’s teacher at school. She quickly sees that Matilda is very special and far ahead of the other students. Miss Honey is kind and caring. She wants to help Matilda learn and grow, but she also notices that something is not right with Matilda’s family.
- Miss Trunchbull: The mean headmistress of Matilda’s school. She hates children and is very strict. She is known for being cruel to students, punishing them unfairly, and even throwing them around. Matilda has not had a direct encounter with Miss Trunchbull yet, but she has heard stories from other students.
- Mrs. Phelps: Librarian. Phelps notices that Matilda is very young to be coming to the library alone, but she doesn’t stop her. Instead, she encourages Matilda’s love for reading. She introduces Matilda to classic books, like Great Expectations.
Matilda’s Pranks in Detail:
- The Superglue Trick: Matilda gets back at her father by putting superglue inside his hat. When he puts it on, the hat sticks to his head, and he cannot take it off. The father has to cut the hat off with scissors, ruining both the hat and his hair.
- The Parrot Prank: Matilda hides a parrot in the chimney of their house to make her family think there is a ghost. She enjoys watching them panic and scream, believing the house is haunted.
- The Hair Dye Incident: Matilda replaces her father’s hair tonic with her mother’s hair dye, turning his hair bright silver. He is embarrassed, and Matilda finds the whole thing very funny.
Character Analysis:
Main Characters:
- Matilda: Matilda is a very intelligent five-year-old girl and the main character of the book. She lives with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, and her older brother, Michael. She is very good at reading and math, but even though she is really smart, she stays modest and doesn’t act superior. Matilda has a strong sense of what is right and wrong.
- Mr. Wormwood: Matilda’s father, who sells used cars by cheating his customers. He is dishonest, proud of his bad behavior, and doesn’t respect Matilda’s intelligence. He is rude and only cares about money.
- Mrs. Wormwood: Matilda’s mother, who often plays bingo and watches a lot of TV. She doesn’t recognize Matilda’s abilities and believes it’s more important to watch TV than to read books. She supports Mr. Wormwood.
- Michael: Matilda’s older brother. He is described as “perfectly normal” and not as smart as Matilda. Mr. Wormwood wants Michael to follow in his footsteps and become a car salesman.
- Mrs. Phelps: The librarian at the public library. She notices that Matilda is very young to be reading advanced books but lets her continue. Mrs. Phelps helps Matilda check out books, allowing her to take them home and read in peace.
- Miss Honey: Matilda’s teacher. She is gentle and loved by her students. Miss Honey quickly realizes that Matilda is a genius and tries to support her in school. She is the opposite of the strict headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.
- Miss Trunchbull: The headmistress of the school, who is very different from Miss Honey. She is strict and intimidating. She believes in strict discipline.
Conclusion:
Matilda is a great story that shows how smart and brave Matilda is. Even though she has terrible parents who do not love her, she never lets that stop her from learning and growing. It’s fun to see how Matilda gets back at her father with clever pranks, especially the superglue and hair dye tricks. Matilda’s love for reading is inspiring, and it’s sad that her family doesn’t appreciate her talent. Hopefully, she finds more people like Miss Honey who truly understand and support her.