James & the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl(re-read) This wasn’t as fun as I remember. I remembered a whimsical Dahl-esque adventure with weird stuff happening and memorable characters. But on the re-read, it becomes evident that this is Dahl’s first attempt at children’s literature. Everything up to when he gets into the peach is fine, but then I started going “get on with it”. The other characters don’t have any real arcs. Instead, they all just bicker with each other while minor obstacles appear and then are solved (usually by running away). I think the movie is better. Al Jaffee’s Mad Life by Mary-Lou Weisman Al Jaffee was one of…
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Who is the Protagonist in Willy Wonka?
I’m listening to some classic Roald Dahl books in my car for my commute, and it got me wondering, who is the protagonist in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Does it even have one? Stop and think. Your first guess, of course, would be Charlie. He gains the most, he suffers the most. He started from the bottom and now he’s here. However, he doesn’t change. The protagonist is supposed to change via the story. Charlie starts with an optimistic and cheerful attitude and maintains that disposition throughout. He never accepts charity or complains about a thing. Even among the craziness and dying children left and right, his faith that Willy Wonka is the greatest thing…
