‘The Unknown’ Was the Most Roald Dahl Part of the Willy Wonka Fiasco
It’s just a fact that, for all their wonder and whimsy, Roald Dahl‘s children’s books can be terrifying. The heroine of Matilda, abandoned to a strict school by uncaring parents, must survive the cruelties of the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Unlike the friendly giant of the title, the other giants in The BFG snatch humans to eat from their beds every night. The Witches concerns a conspiracy of demonic crones bent on eradicating kids altogether.
In other words, Dahl’s often macabre fantasies are not safe spaces…