Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ Is The Perfect Roadmap For Young Nerds Everywhere

There is sure to be a particular book, television show, or movie within every individual’s childhood that particularly resonates with them. In many instances, this childhood obsession likely prompted you to reread or rewatch this media on repeat until its pages were yellowed and dog-eared, or its DVD would not play because of how smudged it got after being recklessly handled by your childhood self. For many, this may have manifested in the form of universally acclaimed series like Harry Potter or Star Wars, or even in the form of nostalgic series like the imaginative Magic Tree House series and the beloved Goosebumps series. Many of the nerdier kids, however (myself included), gravitated to Roald Dahl’s Matilda (1988). Whether this is because of how Matilda as a character naturally resonates with many young nerds in the making or even the unbelievably awful characterization of her family and the beyond villainous Miss Trunchbull, Dahl’s novel has undoubtedly made an incredible cultural impact and continues to shape the experiences of young bookworms today.

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While the novel is by no means as popular as big names within the world of children’s books like Where the Wild Things Are or Frog and Toad, it is often considered as one of the best novels Dahl has ever written. For instance, Vox has definitively ranked it as his third greatest book of all time, stating that Matilda is particularly exciting since, although “Matilda’s telekinesis might seem of a piece with today’s never-ending stream of superhero movies, Dahl’s 1988 novel extols the virtues of brainpower over superpowers.” (( Tanya Pai, “Roald Dahl’s 11 best — and worst — children’s books, ranked,” Vox, September 13, 2016. )). Therefore, it is truly no wonder that young bookworms who were likely shamed for reading at some point in their lives gravitated to the young, book-loving heroine — after all, what kid wouldn’t want to triumph over book-hating adults with the power of their own mind? If this groundbreaking novel wasn’t as much of a pillar of your own childhood, here are a few aspects of Matilda that are sure to make you understand how Dahl’s novel influenced young book lovers everywhere.

Its Compelling Range Of Characters

One particularly captivating aspect of Dahl’s novel is its wide range of characters, from the sweet, book-loving Matilda to the evil, child-hating Agatha Trunchbull. While these characters primarily exist on a limited binary of good and evil — with the novel’s “evil” characters being as shallow as the typical children’s book villain — this by no means makes these characters less interesting. In addition to existing as a relatable figure for nerdy kids everywhere, Matilda’s all-encompassing love of all things literature is inspiring. Despite being raised by people who could never understand her love of reading and indifference toward the television screen, she is able to stay true to her first love. This dedication to knowledge mainly manifests as the young protagonist uses her telekinetic powers to inflict amusing punishments on the people who did anything they could to ignore her innate talents.

Besides Crunchem Hall Primary School, another pertinent setting in Matilda is the Wormwood residence, which houses the story’s other set of antagonists: Matilda’s own parents and older brother. In the Wormwood household, the protagonist’s relationship with her family is much like that of another popular protagonist, Harry Potter. Much like Potter’s relationship with his dreadful relatives, Matilda’s relationship with her own is one of mutual disregard initiated by the parental figures, who are far more concerned with pampering their spoiled child than nurturing the abounding talents of their neglected child and underdog of a protagonist. One Wormwood who particularly stands out in both the novel and the film adaptation is Harry Wormwood, who Danny DeVito humorously portrays. While Matilda’s mother and brother show their disdain toward the young girl’s erudite nature in more subtle ways, Mr. Wormwood is sure to voice his close-minded views whenever his daughter shows even the slightest interest in literature and the pursuit of knowledge.

As a result, the punishments that Matilda inflicts upon her father end up being some of the most entertaining, with an honorable mention to the iconic scene of Matilda pranking Miss Trunchbull with a reptilian ambush. (( DeVito, Danny, director. Matilda. TriStar Pictures, 1996. )) After all, it is Mr. Wormwood’s own fault that Matilda is able to punish adults without feeling even the slightest inkling of remorse since he was the one who taught her that “when a person is bad, that person has to be taught a lesson.” (( DeVito, Danny, dir. Matilda. Sony Pictures Releasing, 1996. )). One scene that has particularly stuck with fans decades after Dahl’s novel and DeVito’s film were released was the infamous punishment involving Mr. Wormwood’s beloved fedora and a jar of super glue. (( DeVito, Danny, director. Matilda. TriStar Pictures, 1996. )).

Tired of her father’s constant beratement, Matilda decides it is time for her to teach him a lesson. As Mr. Wormwood attempts to remove his hat in a fancy restaurant, he quickly realizes something is wrong. As Mrs. Wormwood tries assisting her husband, the pair soon become a spectacle, intensifying as they land on neighboring tables and top of various desserts. While Matilda enjoys this trainwreck from her front-row seat, a sumptuous dessert lands in front of her, and she gladly partakes — after all, dessert (and revenge) is a dish best served cold.

Miss Honey: A Character Who Is Sweeter Than Her Namesake

While most of the adults in Matilda are considered antagonists, Miss Jennifer Honey is anything but. Unlike the Wormwoods, the open-hearted teacher quickly recognizes Matilda’s innate erudite nature and is sure to nurture the young scholar’s mind in any way she can. In addition, Miss Honey is the only adult that Matilda trusts enough to reveal her telekinetic powers to, speaking to Miss Honey’s important role in Matilda’s childhood as a solid maternal figure and friend.

In addition to her own love of literature, Miss Honey is able to understand and empathize with Matilda because of her own traumatic childhood. While Miss Honey was allowed a brief period of happiness as a child, this joy began to fade with the passing of her mother. Moreover, her joy soon faded entirely with her father’s mysterious death, Dr. Magnus Honey, which was ruled a suicide based on groundless conjecture alone. Just before her father’s death, Mr. Honey called upon his sister-in-law Agatha Trunchbull to care for Jennifer while he was at work. Unbeknownst to him, however, Miss Trunchbull had a deep loathing toward children and began tormenting his daughter around this time. While it remains unconfirmed whether Miss Trunchbull was directly responsible for Mr. Honey’s death, she ends up gaining custody of a young, orphaned Miss Honey and ownership of the Honeys’ estate. Unfortunately, Miss Trunchbull’s abuse of Miss Honey continues until she is able to escape to a quaint little house in the woods several years later. 

Although the sentiment that “the biggest smiles hide the most pain” is beyond cliché, it could not be more accurate in the case of Miss Honey. While her charming cottagecore aesthetic and her kindhearted nature have made her a beloved character across fandom culture, her past struggles and pain are significant aspects of her character. After all, even though one’s own past hardships should by no means define them, these experiences shape them into the firm, well-rounded human beings they become.

Matilda: “I want to stay with Miss Honey.”

Mrs. Wormwood: “Miss Honey doesn’t want you. Why would she want she snotty, disobedient child?”

Miss Honey: “Because she’s a spectacularly wonderful child and I love her.”

Matilda (1996)

Miss Trunchbull: An Iconic Villain

Without question, the most villainous character among the neglectful adults in Matilda’s life is Agatha Trunchbull, headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School. Suppose her child-hating nature and hobby of physically and verbally assaulting the children who attend her school was not enough to cement her villainhood. In that case, her extensive history of tormenting a young, orphaned Miss Honey is sure to make many young readers question the character’s humanity. Unlike Miss Honey, Miss Trunchbull did not choose to work with children out of the goodness of her own heart and a desire to shape the next generation. Rather, Miss Trunchbull is merely a bully trapped in a grown woman’s body who uses her status as headmistress to continue terrorizing the children who attend her school. 

Nonetheless, Miss Trunchbull is the star of many iconic moments throughout both Dahl’s novel and DeVito’s film adaptation. While many of these scenes likely traumatized many young readers and viewers alike — in particular the infamous scene in the film where Miss Trunchbull throws around a young girl with pigtails as if she were back at the 1972 Munich Olympics as a hammer thrower — it is undeniable that these scenes are some of the most memorable. (( DeVito, Danny, director. Matilda. TriStar Pictures, 1996. )).

Another scene that holds particular impact occurs as Matilda and her friends stick up for Bruce, one of their classmates, as he is singled out by the villainous Miss Trunchbull for eating a measly slice of a larger cake “belonging” to her. (( DeVito, Danny, director. Matilda. TriStar Pictures, 1996. )). As punishment, Miss Trunchbull calls a school assembly, culminating in the headmistress forcing Bruce to consume a gargantuan chocolate cake made with “sweat and blood” in mere minutes. In a moment that was meant to humiliate and scar Bruce for life, his peers are quick to cheer him on.

In addition to throwing Miss Trunchbull into a fit of rage that is incredibly satisfying to watch, this scene essentially showcases the power of friendship. In addition, the scene demonstrates that it will always be possible to rise above the odds as long as you have the right people by your side, no matter how bleak any given scenario may seem at the moment. Miss Trunchbull has certainly resonated with fans as a villain — after all, aren’t villains often the most fascinating characters in pop culture? From inspiring many fans to showcase their reverence of the character by dressing up in her likeness to existing as a cautionary tale of sorts for people to avoid relating to at all costs, Miss Trunchbull has undoubtedly made a clear impact on fandom and mainstream culture alike. (( Emma Taylor, “A 7-year-old girl made her own Miss Trunchbull costume, and the actor who played Matilda responded,” Insider, March 9, 2020. )).

“They’re all mistakes, children! Filthy, nasty things. Glad I never was one.”

Agatha Trunchbull, Matilda (1996)

The Central Motif Of Knowledge As Power

For many aspiring nerds and book lovers, the most compelling aspect of Matilda is the main theme of knowledge being just as effective as power during periods of immense duress. To see a protagonist so passionate about reading and learning from such a young age triumph against adults who would prefer to see her hypnotized by a television screen is inspiring in and of itself. In addition, the fact that — although Matilda’s own parents discouraged her love of learning — she was able to find someone to love the things her parents loathed about her is encouraging to young nerds who may share a similar plight with the beloved protagonist.

This theme, after all, is the reason Miss Honey was allowed to adopt Matilda and resume ownership of her childhood home and salary, which Miss Trunchbull had formerly forced Miss Honey to relinquish over to her. In the novel’s climax, Matilda telekinetically confronts Miss Trunchbull about her tyrannical behavior as the “spirit” of Miss Honey’s deceased father. During this spectral confrontation, Matilda threatens the beyond abusive Miss Trunchbull to leave Crunchem Hall Primary School and Miss Honey’s childhood home. Thankfully, the petrified Miss Trunchbull agrees to “Mr. Honey’s” terms and disappears without a trace. Although this outlandish scenario can only unfold in a work of children’s fiction, it allows Matilda and Miss Honey to live happily ever after. Thanks to Matilda’s intelligence and love of knowledge, she is able to harness her newfound telekinetic abilities and use them to her advantage. After all, who’s to say whether Matilda would have been able to use her telekinetic powers in the same way if she was not gifted with a scholarly, astute mind. 

“All the reading she had done had given her a view of life that they [the Wormwoods] had never seen. If only they would read a little Dickens or Kipling they would soon discover there was more to life than cheating people and watching television.”

Matilda (1988)

The Significance Of Matilda Today

Whether you grew up reading Matilda cover to cover or are largely unfamiliar with the relatably bookish protagonist, this motif of knowledge as power is undeniably important, especially in an era when young children are more dependent on their iPad and television screens than ever before. Since the written word has been crucial to the founding of entire civilizations, the sentiment that literature and similar artforms are beginning to die out should be anything but true. However, as bookstores continue to close their doors and media on streaming sites like Netflix and YouTube steadily replace children’s bedtime stories, (( Ben Heubl, “Digital devices replacing books for bedtime stories,” E&T Magazine, May 23, 2019. )) the conscious instillation of literature within the home has become more important than ever. A return to works like Dahl’s Matilda may begin to reverse this negative trend — perhaps the novel could reignite your own love of literature and spark a scholarly disposition in any young person in your life who happens upon the literary behemoth. 

You can even build an entire digital library on any device for free; while reading on digital screens may not be ideal for young children, it certainly beats an obsession with the abundance of mind-numbing content readily available on YouTube and the App Store. Perhaps an original copy of Matilda (complete with Quentin Blake’s illustrations) can be the first addition to this digital library. The encouragement of this great literary habit is sure to ignite a passion for literature and learning in any young child in your life while reinstating the immense cultural impact and significance of Dahl’s revolutionary, refreshing novel in the process.