Resumo de Matilda - Roald Dahl

Matilda is a children?s book by Roald Dahl. It tells the story of a little girl who is a prodigy, but has parents and a brother who cannot understand her special gift and help her to use it correctly. Dahl states that Matilda used to go to the library at the age of two, while her mother went for bingo and the librarian introduced her to a number of children?s classics that enabled Matilda to read and experience the wonderful world of fiction. Her eyes were now opened to the world of writers and she felt that she could travel to the jungles of Africa and India, while sitting in her little room at home.

It is this self experience and revelation that she got through literature that allowed Matilda to survive in her family. She learnt that her father was a crook, since he sold cars with which he had tampered. She tried to explain to him that this was wrong, but he told her that she was a little twit and that she would never understand the right way of making money. Also, he once tore up her library book and could not appreciate that she was smarter than her elder brother. Matilda got her revenge though, by sticking the inside of his hat to her head, as well as colouring his hair blonde by changing in liquid inside the bottle of hair solution that he would use everyday. Matilda even managed to convince her family that there was a ghost in their house by putting a parrot up the chimney. These are big points for a little girl to score over a family who mistreated her. The book is firmly divided into people who are only good or only bad- and the bad ones, extravagantly so. Matilda?s mother is the only one in a slightly grey area, since she is kind to Matilda, but yet is so self involved that one doesn?t see her as a very commiserating character.

When Matilda went to school, she found another kindred soul- her classteacher Ms Honey. But she also found another enemy- The Trunchbull, the headmistress. The Trunchbull used to carry out terrible punishments on the children, mostly because she didn?t like them. She used to try out for the Olympics and the feats she would carry out- like throwing children as one would the hammer- were so far- fetched, that parents wouldn?t believe their children even if they did complain about the headmistress.

Through her friendship with Ms Honey, Matilda learns a lot about Ms Honey?s life. She learns that The Trunchbull was actually Ms Honey?s aunt and has taken over her house when Ms Honey?s father Magnus died suddenly and under mysterious circumstances. Matilda is determined to see that Ms Honey gets back the house that she deserves. An incident with The Trunchbull in class sparks off this desire in her. A newt was put into the jug of water that The Trunchbull normally drank out of, and The Trunchbull immediately punished Matilda for it, for no reason at all. Matilda decided to seek revenge.

Since Matilda was not permitted to skip a few levels in school, her overactive brain was not learning much that was new and was seeking an outlet. Matilda realised that she could move small and light objects with the power of her mind, through her eyes. She practiced for a long while with a cigarette, often tiring herself out, but determined to make it through till her plan was actualised. Dahl tries to show that Matilda was not a ?magic? child, just one seeking an outlet for all the unutilized brain power that she had.

In the final showdown in the classroom, Matilda manages to write on the board, with the power of her mind. She tells The Trunchbull that she is Magnus, and implicates The Truchbull with regard to his death. She tells her to give Ms Honey back her house and her money and to leave and never return. The Truchbull faints and later, does exactly as Matilda has told her. The problem of Matilda?s family is not yet resolved though, until we hear that her father is wanted by the police for selling bad cars. Matilda asks if she can stay with Ms Honey because she doesn?t want to leave and herfamily agrees since they consider her to be nothing but a burden anyway. Matilda is happy with the decision, and since she is now being allowed to study in the fifth grade level, her mind is constantly utilized and she loses the power to move objects with her eyes.

Children will relate to the character of Matilda and the revenges that she scores over the mean people in her life with her astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge. They will also skim over the implausible ending, which provides a feel-good sense of justice.

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