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Characters - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Mr. Willy Wonka - The eccentric owner of the Wonka chocolate factory. Mr.Wonka is

the most renowned candy maker in the world and an children is actually a calculated

ploy to find the perfect child to take over his factory. He is looking for a properly

obsequious child to whom he can teach all the secrets of his factory. Charlie Bucket is

that boy.

endless combination of opposing parts. He is old but filled with a boundless energy. He

is physically small, but his persona is larger than life. He is also both charming and

insensitive. His decision to open his factory to five lucky

Charlie Bucket - The protagonist of the novel. Charlie is unassuming and respectful

toward everyone in his life. He is undernourished but refuses to ever take an extra

portion of food because it would deprive another member of his family. He must walk by

Mr. Wonka‟s factory every day on his way to school and smell the tantalizing smell of

chocolate as his stomach grumbles. He is almost always cold because he does not

have an adequate jacket. Even though he has every reason to complain, he never does.

Charlie is exactly the kind of child that Mr. Wonka wants.

Grandpa Joe - Charlie‟s paternal grandfather. Grandpa Joe spends all his time in bedwith the other three Bucket grandparents. He is extremely imaginative and fun loving.

He realizes a return of his childish energy when Charlie finds the golden ticket. He

thinks Mr. Wonka‟s idea to send out golden tickets is a marketing stroke of genius, and

he continues to think Mr. Wonka is brilliant while the other parents think he is mad.

Grandpa Joe is kind and loving and also sensible. He is Charlie‟s greatest friend and

confidant.

Augustus Gloop - A fat boy who loves nothing but eating. Augustus is rude and

insubordinate in his never-ending quest to fill his own face. His parents choose to

indulge him rather than listen to his whining. He suffers for his greed in the factory: while

sucking from the chocolate river, he falls in and is sucked up by one of the super pipes.

He comes out changed on the other side, as evidenced by his new thin body.



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Veruca Salt - A spoiled brat. Veruca demands anything she wants and throws

tantrums until her parents meet her demands. She is mean and completely self-involved,

and her parents always acquiesce to her wishes. Veruca‟s impetuousness causes her

trouble at the factory. She demands to own one of Wonka‟s trained squirrels, but when

she marches in to claim it, it deems her a “bad nut” and sends her down the garbage

chute. Mingled with garbage, she comes out changed at the end of the story.

Violet Beauregarde - An avid gum chewer. Violet‟s attempt to beat a gum-chewing

record completely consumes her. At the factory her gum-chewing antics become her

downfall when she grabs an experimental piece of gum against Mr. Wonka‟s advice.

She eagerly chews the gum and turns into a giant blueberry. After being juiced by

Oompa-Loompas, she leaves the factory changed.

Mike Teavee - A boy who cares only for television. The more guns and violence on a

show, the more Mike likes it. Mike is slightly more complex than the other bad children

in that he is smart enough to realize when Mr. Wonka is lying to him. Still, his attempts

to get answers to his questions go completely unheeded. At the factory he wants

nothing more than to check out the chocolate television room. Once there he spies the

opportunity to be on television himself. Without regard for his own safety, he engineers

a filming of himself and ends up shrinking down to a couple of inches. The Oompa-Loompas stretch him out to twice his normal height in the end.

The Oompa-Loompas - Fun-loving dwarves hailing from Loompaland. Mr. Wonka‟s

diminutive work force feasts on cacao beans and performs all of the work in the Wonka

chocolate factory. They also enjoy dancing, beating drums, and singing songs about

what happens to bad children.

Mr. Bucket - Charlie‟s hard-working father. Mr. Bucket works tirelessly to provide for

his family, which includes two sets of grandparents. In spite of his efforts, Mr. Bucket

barely earns enough money for his family to survive.

Mrs. Bucket - Charlie‟s mother. Mrs. Bucket worries constantly about her son. She

unfailingly tries to give Charlie her portion of a meal, which he always refuses. She is



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extremely giving in her efforts to take care of the four invalided grandparents with whom

she lives.

Grandma Josephine - Charlie‟s paternal grandmother. Grandma Josephine, like her

fellow grandparents, spends all her time in bed. She loves Charlie and is quick to judge

others.

Grandpa George - Charlie‟s maternal grandfather. Grandpa George is pessimistic and

terse. He does not seem as judgmental as the grandmothers and clearly loves Charlie.

Grandma Georgina - Charlie‟s maternal grandmother. She is the mirror image of

Grandma Josephine. She too is very quick to judge others.

Mr. and Mrs. Gloop - Augustus‟s parents. The Gloops are moronic and indulgent of

their son‟s overeating. Mrs. Gloop is proud of her son‟s appetite and thinks it better that

he eat than be a nuisance.

Mr. and Mrs. Salt - Veruca‟s parents. Mr. and Mrs. Salt are at their daughter‟s beck

and call. Whenever she screams and cries they give in to her every demand. Mr. Salt

goes so far as to divert his entire factory from shelling peanuts to shelling candy bars in

order to get Veruca the golden ticket she demands.

Mr. and Mrs. Beauregarde - Violet‟s parents. The Beauregardes are weak and

ineffectual. They let their daughter talk back to them and ignore her insults.

Mr. and Mrs. Teavee - Mike‟s parents. Mr. and Mrs. Teavee are hands-off parents.

They allow the television to parent their son.

Messrs. Fickelgruber, Prodnose, and Slugworth - Wonka‟s main competitors.

Fickelgruber, Prodnose, and Slugworth each allegedly planted spies at the Wonka

factory in order to steal Wonka‟s candy-making secrets. The thefts put Mr. Wonka out of

business for a long time. One day, Mr. Wonka‟s factory mysteriously reopened, though

no one has ever been seen going in or out.



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Charl ie Buc ket

Charlie Bucket is the protagonist of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , and he is the embodiment of all that is

virtuous. He is deprived of adequate food, a bed, and any privacy. In spite of all this, he never complains, nor does he

ever accept charity from his family when it comes at their own expense. Each morning, Charlie musters the strengthto walk to school, even though he nearly freezes during the colder months. And each night, he returns home and

dutifully spends time with his bedridden grandparents, a chore that he seems to genuinely enjoy.

Charlie‟s physical proportions align with his personality: not only is he quite small and undernourished, but also he is

meek. He speaks only when he is spoken to. He never asks for more than he is given. He looks forward to the one

time a year, on his birthday, when he can indulge in a Wonka chocolate bar, and instead of wolfing it down all at once,

he savors it (bite by bite) for many months. Charlie walks past the world-renowned Wonka chocolate factory twice a

day, yet this never causes him bitterness or anger. Instead, Charlie simply indulges in the savory smells coming out

of the factory and humbly dreams of entering the factory one day. When the golden tickets start turning up in the

hands of nasty, greedy children, Charlie never complains about how unfair it is that he will never get to go. Charlie‟s

strongest criticism of one of the other children comes when he hears that Veruca‟s father is using all the workers in

his peanut factory to unwrap chocolate bars night and day until his daughter gets a ticket. Charlie‟s only comment is

that Veruca‟s father is not playing quite fair.

Behind Charlie‟s meek and virtuous exterior lies an inner strength and courage. He faces the new challenges and

mysteries of the factory with the same bravery he employs to overcome the adversity of his everyday life. He finds all

of the adventures in the chocolate factory to be wild and stimulating. While other characters cringe at the speed of the

boat as it tears down the chocolate river, Charlie demurely embraces it, clutching to Grandpa Joe‟s legs for stability

and enjoying the ride of his life.

Mr. Wi lly Wonk a

The eccentric owner of the world-famous Wonka chocolate factory. Along with his eccentric behavior, Mr. Wonka also

has a benevolent side. The mystery workers operating his chocolate factory after the reopening are called Oompa-

Loompas. The Oompa-Loompas hail from Loompaland, where they are the defenseless prey of hungry creatures likehornswogglers, snozzwangers, and whandoodles until Mr. Wonka rescues them. He brings the malnourished

Oompa-Loompas back to his factory where they are allowed to eat their favorite food—cacao beans—in unlimited

quantities and live in complete safety in exchange for running the factory. Mr. Wonka treats the Oompa-Loompas like

children, and, in return, they treat him as a benevolent caretaker. Mr. Wonka further demonstrates his affinity for

children and wariness of adults by choosing a child to take over his factory. The child he seeks is humble, respectful,

and willing to run his factory exactly how Mr. Wonka runs it himself.

Though benevolent, Mr. Wonka‟s character is not beyond reproach. His treatment of the Oompa-Loompas is

paternalistic, and his desire to mold a child into a second version of himself is narcissistic. Furthermore, Mr. Wonka is

unwilling to accept anyone‟s foibles. He can be extremely demanding and judgmental. The four children who do not

win the grand prize clearly disgust Mr. Wonka. He is short with each of them—he acts as if he invited each of them

simply to prove the virtuosity of Charlie. The humble and gracious Charlie is everything Mr. Wonka is looking for.

Grandpa Joe

Grandpa Joe is the oldest and wisest of the characters in the novel. However, like Charlie and Mr. Wonka, he

remains young at heart. His youthful exuberance makes him the perfect person to escort Charlie to the chocolate

factory.Grandpa Joe is also Charlie‟s best friend. Every evening when Charlie spends time with his grandparents,

Grandpa Joe entertains Charlie with a story. It is Grandpa Joe who initially tells Charlie all about the history of Mr.

Wonka and his vaunted chocolate factory, and Grandpa Joe urges Charlie to have faith that he can find a golden

ticket.





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Punishment

Punishment is used to underscore the moral code in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . Good children are dutiful and

respectful, whereas bad children are the opposite. It is not a bad child‟s fault that he is bad—his parents are largely to

blame. However, bad children must be reformed through whatever means necessary. Indeed, the necessary means

take the form of wild and sometimes violent punishments. Punishments are necessary to create good out of bad,

which is a moral imperative within this story. In this story, the proper punishment is the only thing that can transform a

bad child into a good one.

Absurdity

Dahl regularly employs absurd language and ideas. Some of these absurdities are hair-growing candy for children,

square candies that look ‟round, and edible pillows. All of these demand a suspension of disbelief from the reader. In

the story, the children who cannot suspend their disbelief fall into disfavor with Mr. Wonka. By being able to suspend

disbelief, the reader can align himself with Mr. Wonka and Charlie. A reader might agree with Mike Teavee that

children do not need to worry about going bald. But the same reader can enjoy watching Mr. Wonka dismiss Mike

and champion Charlie. These absurdities also entertain young readers and push their intellectual capacities.

Symbols

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Chocolate Factory

The chocolate factory is the physical embodiment of the difference between poverty and wealth. Charlie‟s poverty-

stricken home stands in the shadow of the behemoth chocolate factory, which is filled with untold riches. The

chocolate factory also represents the idea that things cannot be fairly judged from an outside perspective. It seems

enormous from the outside, but its true glories lie below ground, where they cannot be seen without a closer look.

Golden Ticket

Like the chocolate factory, the golden ticket is a physical manifestation of the difference between poverty and wealth.

Finding the golden ticket allows Charlie to live his dream. As its name indicates, the golden ticket is made entirely of

gold. It is the most valuable thing Charlie has ever touched. But it also represents a leveling of the playing field

between the rich and the poor. Charlie has just as much chance as anyone else to find a ticket. The ticket represents

hope.

Glass Elevator

For Charlie, the great glass elevator represents his future. The elevator allows Charlie to see the world laid out before

him. But before Charlie can reach that point of clarity, he must trust the elevator and remain willing to ride on through

all of the turbulence and frightening times. Once Charlie can accept uncertainty as part of his future, the elevator

takes him to the place where his future is at hand. Once there, Charlie must be brave enough to stand on uncertain

ground and seize his own fortune.

Chapters 1 and 2

Summary

The Bucket family—the hero of the story, Charlie Bucket; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bucket; and his four grandparents,Grandpa Joe, Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George, and Grandma Georgina—is a loving but poor family. They live

in a small house with only one bed, which the four grandparents share. Charlie and his parents sleep on mattresses

on the floor. Mr. Bucket works in a toothpaste factory and barely earns enough money to feed his family. They are

forced to subsist on bread and margarine for breakfast, boiled potatoes and cabbage for lunch, and cabbage soup for

supper. Charlie longs for more filling foods, especially chocolate, which he receives only once a year on his birthday.

On that day he gets one bar of Wonka chocolate, which he savors for months and months. Charlie‟s house sits on the

outskirts of a large town that is famous for the Wonka chocolate factory. Charlie must pass by the Wonka chocolate



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factory every day on his way to and from school. Each day as he walks by the factory‟s colossal iron gates, Charlie

inhales deeply and prays that someday he will get to venture inside the factory.

Every night after dinner, Charlie goes into his grandparents‟ room. Just the sight of Charlie enlivens his grandparents.

Grandpa Joe tells stories to amuse Charl ie, and the others listen in rapture. One evening Charlie asks his

grandparents about the Wonka chocolate factory, and Grandpa Joe tells Charlie the story of Mr. Wonka. He begins

by saying Mr. Wonka is the greatest chocolate maker in the whole world and his factory is the biggest in the whole

world. Grandpa Joe recounts many of Mr. Wonka‟s amazing feats, including his more than two hundred varieties of

candy bars, which are eaten by kings and presidents across the world. Grandpa Joe also regales Charlie with tales of

impossible Wonka inventions, such as ice cream that stays frozen in the sun, marshmallows that taste like flowers,

and chewing gum that never loses its flavor. During the storytelling, Mr. and Mrs. Bucket stand in the doorway and

share in the listening enjoyment.

Analys is

The opening chapters of the story create a stark dichotomy between what Charlie has and what he does not have,

which demonstrates Charlie‟s infinitely patient and humble character. Charlie‟s four grandparents—all of whom are

over ninety—require constant care from his mother, and his father‟s meager wages barely buy enough food for their

family. The physical differences between Charlie‟s home and the chocolate factory further reinforce this dichotomy:Charlie lives in small wooden house on the outskirts of town. The chocolate factory is gigantic, indomitable, and the

guardian of untold treasures. Indeed, Charlie‟s mattress lies within the shadow of the factory, and he is constantly

bombarded with the sight of overabundance while he himself is nearly starving to death. Grandpa Joe‟s stories about

the wondrous creations lying within the Wonka vault further magnify the difference between what Charlie has and

what others have.

Dahl employs an overly familiar writing style, in which he talks to his reader as if telling the story out loud to an

audience. He does this in order to point out to the reader important details, such as with whom to sympathize. Dahl

makes Charlie a universally loveable character by having him courteously address the reader—“How d‟you do? And

how d‟you do? And how d‟you do, again? I‟m pleased to meet you.” —and by almost overemphasizing the hardships

in Charlie‟s life, like the torture of seeing other kids indulge in chocolate while he goes hungry. Dahl accentuates

these hardships through the use of italicizing and further through the use of exclamation points.

Chapters 3 and 4

Summary

Grandpa Joe tells Charlie the story of Mr. Wonka and the Indian Prince Pondicherry. Prince Pondicherry asks Mr.

Wonka to build him a palace entirely out of chocolate. Mr.Wonka complies, building a palace with chocolate furniture,

chocolate walls, and even hot chocolate running from the taps. When he finally finishes the palace, he cautions the

prince to eat it quickly because it will not withstand the heat long. But the prince refuses and says he plans to live in

the palace. Just as Mr. Wonka predicts, the palace melts during the next hot day and the prince wakes up in a

chocolate swimming pool. At the conclusion of the story, Charlie questions Grandpa Joe about the truth of the story,

which Grandpa Joe defends. He then tells Charlie that no one has ever been seen going into or leaving the chocolate

factory. Charlie is confused at first, but he quickly realizes Grandpa Joe is right: whenever he walks past the factory,

the gates are locked. But he also knows that there is work going on in the factory. When he asks Grandpa Joe whoworks in the factory, his mother interrupts him, calling him to bed before he can hear about the mystery workers.

The following evening, Grandpa Joe resumes his story. He tells Charlie that Mr. Wonka initially went out of business

because his jealous competitors sent spies into the factory to learn all of the Wonka secrets. When the competitors

began replicating Mr. Wonka‟s amazing candy inventions, Mr. Wonka dismissed all his workers and shut down his

factory. But one day the Wonka factory mysteriously came back to life. The townspeople assumed that the factory

was reopening, yet they never saw anyone enter or exit the factory, and the factory gates remained chained.



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Mysteriously, the factory began to produce amazing new candy inventions. Grandpa Joe emphasizes that no one

knew then or knows now who is running the factory—the only clues as to the identity of the mystery workers are the

very small shadows that are sometimes visible through the large glass windows of the factory. The shadows belong

to tiny people, no higher than a man‟s knee. Before Charlie can ask Grandpa Joe to explain further, Mr. Bucket

interrupts the story with the news that the Wonka chocolate factory will be opening its doors to a few lucky people via

the golden tickets.

Analys is

Dahl uses a heavy dose of foreshadowing in these chapters to build up the character of Mr. Wonka. The story about

the Indian prince creates a detailed picture of the chocolatier as a brilliant artist who is capable of creating anything,

even an entire palace constructed of nothing but chocolate. The story also shows that Mr. Wonka is someone whose

advice should be taken seriously, or else disaster can follow. If Prince Pondicherry had heeded Mr. Wonka‟s warning

about the finite lifespan of his chocolate palace, he would have been able to enjoy it before it disappeared.

Dahl spends quite a bit of time establishing the link between Charlie and Grandpa Joe. Grandpa Joe is both an adult

on whom Charlie can rely and also Charlie‟s best friend. In fact, Grandpa Joe is Charlie‟s only friend. He entertains

Charlie with stories and further earns Charlie‟s trust when he assures Charlie that his stories are truthful. Grandpa

Joe is the ideal combination of trustworthiness and fun. Most of the other adults in the book are either too removed

from childhood to be very positive characters or are negative in their treatment of children.

Dahl also uses a specific writing style in this section in an effort to create a mysterious and fantastic atmosphere that

reflects the enigmatic nature of Mr.Wonka‟s character. Mr. Wonka had shut down his business because of spies, a

word that carries dark and mysterious tones. He mysteriously reopened the factory ten years later without warning.

Dahl elaborates on this air of mystery by explaining that no one knows how Mr. Wonka operates his factory because

no one ever sees his workers. The only evidence of these workers is their elusive, very small shadows. By relaying

these facts from Grandpa Joe to a confused, awestruck Charlie, Dahl enhances the enigma of Mr. Wonka and his

chocolate factory.

Chapters 5 and 6

Summary

Mr. Bucket reads a declaration by Mr. Wonka in the newspaper. After ten years of mystery, he is inviting five childrento tour his factory. He will be their tour guide. Furthermore, at the end of the tour, each child will leave the factory with

a lifetime supply of Wonka goodies. The five invitations to his factory are hidden within five Wonka chocolate bars in

the form of golden tickets. The tickets may be anywhere that Wonka candy bars are sold, and they are the only

means of entry into the factory. Mr. Wonka closes his declaration by wishing everyone good luck.

Grandma Josephine is too ill to respond. Grandma Georgina thinks Mr. Wonka is crazy, Grandpa George is amazed,

and Grandpa Joe is incredibly excited, claiming that Wonka is a genius. His golden ticket scheme will raise chocolate

bar sales around the world. Grandpa Joe plants the seed in Charlie‟s mind that he could find one of the golden tickets,

though Charlie assumes it would be nearly impossible. Grandma Georgina reminds Charlie that he has as much

chance as anyone of finding a golden ticket when he receives a chocolate bar on his upcoming birthday. Grandpa

George quickly contradicts his wife, explaining that Charlie only gets one bar a year and the winners will be children

who can afford endless bars of chocolate.

A newspaper article tells the Bucket family that Augustus Gloop, a tremendously fat little boy, has found the first ticket.

The town in which Augustus lives throws a parade in his honor. His mother explains to the newspaper how proud she

is of her son. She explains that Augustus was bound to find a ticket because of his gigantic appetite. After all, eating

is his hobby, which Mrs. Gloop defends as being better than being a hooligan or playing with toy guns. She also

explains that Augustus would not eat so much unless he needed the nourishment. Charlie‟s grandmothers respond to

the article with disgust. After Augustus finds the first ticket, the entire world becomes preoccupied with finding the

remaining four tickets. Stories abound of parents and children alike searching for the tickets. Mothers buy chocolate



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bars by the dozen, children destroy their piggy banks, and one gangster even robs a bank in order to get money to

buy chocolate bars. A Russian woman claims to find the second ticket, but it turns out to be a fake. An English

scientist creates a machine to determine whether a golden ticket exists within a bar of chocolate without unwrapping

it, but while demonstrating the machine he inadvertently steals a gold filling from a duchess‟s mouth.

The second ticket is found on the day before Charlie‟s birthday. The newspaper reports that the finder is a girl named

Veruca Salt. Her father is the wealthy owner of a peanut shelling factory, which is the key to Veruca‟s find. After

Veruca demands a golden ticket of her father, he demands that all of his employees stop shelling peanuts and begin

shelling candy bars until someone finds a golden ticket for his daughter. Mr. Salt purchases truckloads of candy bars

and his employees unwrap them every day and every night. Veruca gets more and more angry with each day that

passes, throwing temper tantrums and demanding her ticket. On the fourth day of the candy bar shelling, one of Mr.

Salt‟s employees finally unwraps a golden ticket, which Mr. Salt uses to coax a smile from his daughter. Grandma

Josephine and Grandma Georgina remark what a hideous girl Veruca must be. Even Charlie thinks Mr. Salt‟s

behavior is unfair. Grandpa Joe explains to Charlie that Mr. Salt spoils Veruca and that nothing good comes from

spoiling a child. Mrs. Bucket calls Charlie to bed, reminding him that tomorrow is his birthday and that he will get his

own chocolate bar to unwrap. Grandpa Joe asks Charlie to unwrap the bar in front of his grandparents.

Analys is

Dahl continues to distinguish Grandpa Joe from the other grandparents by infusing him with even more positive

qualities. The other grandparents are all old and stodgy, and none of them engages Charlie the way Grandpa Joe

does. Grandpa Joe‟s reaction to Mr. Wonka further differentiates Grandpa Joe from the others. Whe reas the other

grandparents think Mr. Wonka is crazy for sending out his golden tickets, Grandpa Joe thinks Mr. Wonka is a genius.

Both Charlie and Grandpa Joe feel a childlike reverence for Mr. Wonka.

Chapters 5 and 6 establish the darker side of children while also highlighting the culpability of parents for their

children‟s shortcomings. Dahl describes Augustus Gloop as an enormously fat child and subtly attributes Augustus‟

size to his mother‟s incompetence. Mrs. Gloop mistakenly thinks her son‟s enormous appetite is caused by his desire

for nutrients. Her deficient parenting results in Augustus‟s obesity. Similarly, Veruca Salt is a miserable brat, but her

father feeds her demanding nature. Mr. Salt explains to reporters that he chooses to put all of his considerable

resources into finding a golden ticket for his daughter in order to appease her. The implication is that if these parents

did not overly indulge their children, they would be much better off and much happier people.

While recounting the negative aspects of Augustus‟s and Veruca‟s characters, Charlie‟s grandparents weigh in on

how to raise children. They frequently disparage both children and their parents. In the case of Veruca, they even go

so far as to suggest how her parents ought to parent her. Charlie is a much gentler critic. Therefore, when he

criticizes Mr. Salt for unfairly securing his daughter‟s ticket, his criticism holds far more weight. In doing so, Charlie

both incriminates adults like Mr. Salt and further secures the reader‟s sympathy.

Chapters 7 and 8

Summary

The four grandparents hail Charlie with birthday greetings as he enters their room the next morning. He carries his

birthday present, a Wonka whipple-scrumptious fudgemallow delight bar. Everyone leans in as Charlie caresses the

packaging. Mrs. Bucket reminds Charlie not to be too disappointed if the golden ticket is not inside: he cannot expect

to be that lucky. Everyone else supports Mrs. Bucket‟s conclusion. After all, there are only four tickets left. Grandpa

Joe tells Charlie just to enjoy his birthday present. Though all the adults want to spare Charlie from disappointment,

they also know that there is a small chance that the ticket will be inside. Grandpa Joe encourages Charlie to unwrap

the chocolate bar so that he will not be late for school. Charlie begins to unwrap it slowly, then all of a sudden he

tears away the wrapper and discovers that there is no golden ticket. Grandpa Joe chimes in that the bar was just

what they all expected. Charlie smiles sadly and tries to offer some of his present to his family. Everyone staunchly

refuses, even after Charlie tries again. Then he leaves for school.



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That evening the third and fourth golden tickets finders are in the newspaper. Holding the newspaper close to his face

(his eyes are bad and he cannot afford glasses), Mr. Bucket reads the account of Miss Violet Beauregarde‟s

discovery. Standing on a chair in the middle of her living room, surrounded by reporters and flashing cameras, Violet

Beauregarde explains her find while furiously chomping on a piece of gum. She says that she is a gum chewer by

trade who took a short break to find a golden ticket. She is almost never without a piece of gum in her mouth, exceptbriefly at mealtimes when she takes it out and sticks it behind her ear for safekeeping. Though her mother finds her

gum chewing unladylike, Violet does not care, and she criticizes her mother for yelling at her all day. Mrs.

Beauregarde tries to defend herself, but Violet quickly reclaims the spotlight. She explains the piece of gum currently

in her mouth represents a new record, surpassing her best friend‟s old one: three months of nonstop chewing. She

sticks it to the bedpost at night and begins chewing it first thing in the morning. Violet further explains that be fore she

started chewing for the world record she used to change her piece of gum daily, sticking it on a button in the elevator

in order to give an unsuspecting passenger a nasty surprise. She finishes by explaining that she is excited to go to Mr.

Wonka‟s factory and even more excited to get a lifetime supply of gum.

After the grandmothers announce their disgust over Violet, Mr. Bucket goes on to read about the Teavee household.

Though surrounded by reporters and the accompanying hoopla, Mike Teavee, the fourth ticket holder, sits in front of

a huge television, watching a violent show. He is annoyed by the reporters and yells at them to stop interrupting his

television watching. He wears eighteen toy pistols strapped to his chest and jumps up and down, shooting themintermittently. The only thing he tells the reporters is how much he loves television. He watches all shows, even ones

that do not have violence, but he loves gangster shows the most. He wants to star in one of them. Again the

grandmothers weigh in on how awful the child in the paper sounds. Grandpa George reminds everyone that only one

ticket remains, and his wife declares that a beastly child will end up with it.

Analys is

Dahl continues to differentiate between children and adults, in these chapters through their different approaches to

the future. The adults—Charlie‟s parents and grandparents—do not want Charlie to be disappointed if he does not

find the golden ticket in his birthday present. Each of them reminds Charlie that he has almost no chance of finding

the ticket. But Charlie does not say anything in response. His silence is indicative of the fact that he is not preparing

for disappointment: he remains optimistic against all odds. He approaches the search with a cautious optimism

In these chapters, Dahl continues to establish Grandpa Joe as Charlie‟s best friend and as a model adult. One wayhe achieves this is through separating Grandpa Joe from the other adults in their desire to help Charlie avoid

disappointment. Instead of reminding Charlie that he has virtually no chance to find the ticket, Grandpa Joe

encourages him to enjoy his chocolate. Grandpa Joe is not interested in helping Charlie avoid disappointment by

sacrificing excitement. He believes Charlie should be excited. At the same time, Grandpa Joe is there to soften the

blow when Charlie is disappointed. In assigning Grandpa Joe childlike characteristics, Dahl reinforces the importance

of childhood and points out that most adults are too far removed from childhood to benefit from it. Since childhood is

so clearly an important thing, associating Grandpa Joe with it is a positive association.

Dahl continues to moralize about the other children and their parents. He depicts Violet Beauregarde as an idiot, but

he shifts the blame from Violet to her parents when he shows Violet haranguing her mother. Mrs. Beauregarde is an

ineffectual parent, so much of the blame for Violet‟s behavior falls on her. The same can be said of the Teavees. Dahl

depicts Mike as a television zombie. Mike does not want to talk to reporters and is upset at them for disturbing his

television watching. He yells at them to be quiet and his parents do nothing to correct his behavior; in fact, they arebarely even mentioned. In effect, the television serves as Mike‟s parents. Though Violet‟s excessive gum chewing

and Mike‟s obsession with television are vices, their parents are the real culprits.

Dahl uses foreshadowing in this section in different ways. Mike Teavee, in talking about his excessive television

watching, says that he wants to be on television. In doing so he foreshadows his own demise at the hands of

television. Later in the book Mike will televise himself and ruin his chances to win the chocolate factory. Dahl also

uses foreshadowing in this section to support his contention that adults are bad. Grandma Georgina says that a



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beastly child will end up with the last ticket. In doing so, she sheds a negative light on all adults. In fact, it is Charlie,

the perfect child and her own grandson, who will get the ticket. Equating Charlie with a beastly child makes Grandma

Georgina and the other adults look foolish.

Chapters 9 and 10

Summary

The next day after school, Charlie finds only Grandpa Joe awake in bed. Grandpa Joe takes advantage of the private

moment to sneak an ancient leather wallet out from under his pillow. Concealing it under the sheet, he tips the wallet

upside down and out falls ten cents. Grandpa Joe tells Charlie that the others do not know about the money and that

Charlie should use it for one final try at finding the golden ticket. Charlie asks Grandpa Joe if he is sure he wants to

spend his money on a Wonka chocolate bar. Grandpa Joe assures Charlie that he is just as excited about finding the

ticket as Charlie is. Charlie takes the money and runs to the store to purchase a chocolate bar. He returns

immediately and the two prepare to unwrap the chocolate together.

After asking if Charlie is ready, Grandpa Joe tells Charlie to tear off the first bit. Charlie responds that his grandpa

paid for the bar, so he should be the one to unwrap it. While giggling, Grandpa Joe tells Charlie that they have no

chance of finding the ticket. Charlie knows and giggles as well. Then Grandpa Joe tells Charlie that there is a tinychance that the ticket is there. Charlie says he knows and tells his grandpa to open the bar. He instructs Grandpa Joe

to start from the far corner and tear a little, then he urges him to tear open the whole thing. Grandpa Joe tries to get

Charlie to help, but he refuses. Finally Grandpa Joe rips the whole wrapper off and both he and Charlie stare at their

ticketless bar of chocolate. Seeing the comedy of the scene, the two burst into laughter, waking Grandma Josephine.

They hastily cover up their bar of chocolate

The weather begins to turn cold. Four feet of snow fall one evening, forcing Mr. Bucket to dig a path to the street.

After the snow comes freezing winds. The cold accosts Charlie every time he leaves the house, and soon it even

infiltrates the Bucket family house. No one even thinks about the last golden ticket—they only think about staying

warm and getting enough to eat. The narrator reminds the reader that when the weather gets cold, people begin to

crave sumptuous, warm foods. But Charlie gets nothing of the sort. As he eats his three cabbage meals a day, he

grows even hungrier.

The toothpaste factory where Mr. Bucket works shuts down and he becomes unemployed. He makes some money

shoveling snow, but it is not enough to feed the family. Charlie suffers even more on his daily journey past the

chocolate factory. Noting Charlie‟s frailty, Grandpa Joe declares that Charlie must have more food even if it means

that the grandparents starve. Grandma Josephine explains that Charlie refuses to take food from anyone in the family.

Grandpa George points out that Charlie deserves better. The weather gets worse and so does Charlie. He starts to

do things a little differently to conserve energy: he leaves earlier for school so that he can walk more slowly, and he

sits inside during recess to stay warm. While walking home from school one day, Charlie notices a green piece of

paper half buried in the snow. It is a dollar bill. Charlie looks around to see who might have dropped it, but no one is

there. He realizes that it now belongs to him. Charlie carefully extracts the dollar from the snow and gazes at it. Then

he thinks of food. He begins immediately walking to the nearest store—a newspaper and candy shop—with a plan:

he will buy one candy bar and give the rest of the money to his mother.

Analys is

In these chapters, Dahl continues to establish Grandpa Joe as Charlie‟s best friend and a model adult. Grandpa Joe

sacrifices all he has to give Charlie another chance at finding a golden ticket. He shares secrets with Charlie, laughs

with him, and generally treats him as an equal. Grandpa Joe‟s close relationship with Charlie further aligns him with

children and all the positive associations of childhood. Charlie appreciates Grandpa Joe‟s friendship even more when

his father loses his job. Another consequence, however, is that Charlie becomes even weaker. He suffers greatly, but

he does not complain. Instead of complaining, which would be a reasonable response, Charlie shows valiance in his

desire not to be a burden. His meekness makes him all the more sympathetic. Given the title of the book, this

constitutes foreshadowing, as well as a reminder of the biblical maxim “the meek shall inherit the earth.”



12

Dahl rounds out Charlie‟s character in this section. Charlie is not only saintly in his determination not to be a burden

on anyone, but he is also ingenious. He is on the verge of starving to death, yet he refuses to complain or accept

more food from his family members. Instead, he comes up with brilliant ways of conserving his energy: for example,

he walks to school at a slower pace and stays inside during recess. By adding this layer to Charlie‟s character, Dahl

begins to change Charlie from a merely pitiable character to an admirable one with inner resources and strength.

Dahl also reinforces his moral undertones with a plot twist and a shift in narration. Using his omniscient voice, the

narrator reminds readers that they usually get what they want, especially what they want to eat. Charlie does not,

which makes him more pitiable. Serendipitously, Charlie finds a dollar bill buried in the snow, which can be seen as a

reward for Charlie‟s good nature. Charlie looks around for the rightful owner of the dollar bill, showing that he is not

greedy like other children. This is a huge amount of money to Charlie, who appreciates even the smallest gifts.

Charlie‟s selflessness is confirmed by his plan to buy himself a chocolate bar and give the rest of his money to his

mother. His one small indulgence is practically a necessity.

Chapters 11 and 12

Summary

Charlie enters the store and asks for a Wonka whipple-scrumptious fudgemallow delight bar—the same bar he hadeaten on his birthday. The storekeeper places it on the counter and Charlie scarfs it down, savoring the joy of filling

his mouth with the sweet chocolaty bites. While putting Charlie‟s change on the counter, the storekeeper remarks that

Charlie really seemed to have wanted that bar. Charlie continues inhaling the chocolate bar. Then, looking at the nine

dimes before him, Charlie decides to that it couldn‟t hurt to buy one more bar. The storekeeper takes down another

bar and hands it to Charlie, who unwraps the chocolate bar and spies a glint of gold within the wrapping. The

storekeeper notices it too and yells that Charlie has found the last golden ticket. The storekeeper‟s excitement

gathers a crowd around Charlie. The crowd points and shouts, causing Charlie to feel claustrophobic.

A man in the crowd touches Charlie‟s shoulder and offers to buy the ticket for fifty dollars and a new bicycle. Another

woman scoffs at that offer and offers five hundred dollars for the ticket. The storekeeper then steps through the crowd,

telling people to leave Charlie alone. He escorts Charlie to the door and implores him to run home. Before Charliedeparts, the shopkeeper says how happy he is for Charlie. Charlie thanks the kind shopkeeper and runs home. While

running past Mr. Wonka‟s factory, Charlie shouts that they will be seeing him soon.

Charlie bursts into his house and yells for his mother. In a whirlwind of excitement, he explains to her how he found

the final golden ticket. Everyone responds with silence. Grandpa Joe asks Charlie if he is telling a joke. Charlie

responds that he is not, and he holds the ticket up for Grandpa Joe to see. As Grandpa Joe leans in to get a closer

look, everyone else looks at him, eagerly awaiting the verdict. Grandpa Joe looks up at Charlie. He is smiling. After a

deep breath, Grandpa Joe explodes with excitement, screaming and jumping from the bed to do a victory dance.

Mr. Bucket returns home after a long day of shoveling snow to great commotion. The family explains the unbelievable

situation to him. Charlie shows his father the ticket made of gold paper and the invitation written on it. Grandpa Joe

asks his son to read the invitation aloud to everyone. The invitation from Mr. Wonka greets the finder and explains

that he should come to the factory on the morning of February 1 for a tour, led by Mr. Wonka, of all the wonders in his

factory. The lucky finder will also receive a lifetime supply of Wonka goodies. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket realize that

February 1 is the following day. Grandpa Joe says that they must begin getting Charlie prepared. Grandpa Joe

volunteers to escort Charlie, since Mr. Bucket must work and Mrs. Bucket must take care of the others. Mr. and Mrs.

Bucket agree that it should be Grandpa Joe to go with Charlie, which causes Grandpa Joe to shout with glee. There

is a knock on the door. When Mr. Bucket answers it, hordes of reporters and cameras burst into their house. Several

hours later, they finally leave, and Charlie can finally go to sleep.



13

Analys is

In this section, Charlie finally indulges himself. Even while doing so, he maintains his generous spirit. When Charlie

enters the store and orders a chocolate bar, he is, in a way, acting selfishly—but the reader is rooting for Charlie to

do something good for himself. Until now he has been almost too nice and too generous. This act makes Charlie

seem more real. Indeed, this seemingly selfish act results in an extremely valuable reward: a golden ticket.

Sometimes, Dahl seems to suggest, a little bit of self-interest can be a good thing. The corollary, which Dahl has

already established, is that too much self-interest is a terrible thing.

The other patrons in the candy store are yet another negative example of adulthood. They are mean and self-

interested. They each want a golden ticket so badly that they are more than willing to cheat Charlie in order to get

one. The first offer of fifty dollars and a bicycle is a terrible offer aimed at taking advantage of Charlie‟s poverty. Even

the second offer of five hundred dollars is nowhere near the actual worth of the ticket. Dahl also continues his effort to

cast adults in a bad light. The storekeeper alone stands out as a conscientious and caring adult in this scene. He

alone comes to Charlie‟s aid and saves him from the hordes of greedy adults. The storekeeper also speaks for the

reader when he tells Charlie he deserves to have found the ticket. The storekeeper is an enigma in this scene.

Chapters 13 and 14

Summary

Charlie enters the store and asks for a Wonka whipple-scrumptious fudgemallow delight bar—the same bar he had

eaten on his birthday. The storekeeper places it on the counter and Charlie scarfs it down, savoring the joy of filling

his mouth with the sweet chocolaty bites. While putting Charlie‟s change on the counter, the storekeeper remarks that

Charlie really seemed to have wanted that bar. Charlie continues inhaling the chocolate bar. Then, looking at the nine

dimes before him, Charlie decides to that it couldn‟t hurt to buy one more bar. The storekeeper takes down another

bar and hands it to Charlie, who unwraps the chocolate bar and spies a glint of gold within the wrapping. The

storekeeper notices it too and yells that Charlie has found the last golden ticket. The storekeeper‟s excitement

gathers a crowd around Charlie. The crowd points and shouts, causing Charlie to feel claustrophobic.

A man in the crowd touches Charlie‟s shoulder and offers to buy the ticket for fifty dollars and a new bicycle. Another

woman scoffs at that offer and offers five hundred dollars for the ticket. The storekeeper then steps through the crowd,telling people to leave Charlie alone. He escorts Charlie to the door and implores him to run home. Before Charlie

departs, the shopkeeper says how happy he is for Charlie. Charlie thanks the kind shopkeeper and runs home. While

running past Mr. Wonka‟s factory, Charlie shouts that they will be seeing him soon.

Charlie bursts into his house and yells for his mother. In a whirlwind of excitement, he explains to her how he found

the final golden ticket. Everyone responds with silence. Grandpa Joe asks Charlie if he is telling a joke. Charlie

responds that he is not, and he holds the ticket up for Grandpa Joe to see. As Grandpa Joe leans in to get a closer

look, everyone else looks at him, eagerly awaiting the verdict. Grandpa Joe looks up at Charlie. He is smiling. After a

deep breath, Grandpa Joe explodes with excitement, screaming and jumping from the bed to do a victory dance.

Mr. Bucket returns home after a long day of shoveling snow to great commotion. The family explains the unbelievable

situation to him. Charlie shows his father the ticket made of gold paper and the invitation written on it. Grandpa Joe

asks his son to read the invitation aloud to everyone. The invitation from Mr. Wonka greets the finder and explains

that he should come to the factory on the morning of February 1 for a tour, led by Mr. Wonka, of all the wonders in his

factory. The lucky finder will also receive a lifetime supply of Wonka goodies. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket realize that

February 1 is the following day. Grandpa Joe says that they must begin getting Charlie prepared. Grandpa Joe

volunteers to escort Charlie, since Mr. Bucket must work and Mrs. Bucket must take care of the others. Mr. and Mrs.

Bucket agree that it should be Grandpa Joe to go with Charlie, which causes Grandpa Joe to shout with glee. There

is a knock on the door. When Mr. Bucket answers it, hordes of reporters and cameras burst into their house. Several

hours later, they finally leave, and Charlie can finally go to sleep.



14

Analys is

In this section, Charlie finally indulges himself. Even while doing so, he maintains his generous spirit. When Charlie

enters the store and orders a chocolate bar, he is, in a way, acting selfishly—but the reader is rooting for Charlie to

do something good for himself. Until now he has been almost too nice and too generous. This act makes Charlie

seem more real. Indeed, this seemingly selfish act results in an extremely valuable reward: a golden ticket.

Sometimes, Dahl seems to suggest, a little bit of self-interest can be a good thing. The corollary, which Dahl has

already established, is that too much self-interest is a terrible thing.

The other patrons in the candy store are yet another negative example of adulthood. They are mean and self-

interested. They each want a golden ticket so badly that they are more than willing to cheat Charlie in order to get

one. The first offer of fifty dollars and a bicycle is a terrible offer aimed at taking advantage of Charlie‟s poverty. Even

the second offer of five hundred dollars is nowhere near the actual worth of the ticket. Dahl also continues his effort to

cast adults in a bad light. The storekeeper alone stands out as a conscientious and caring adult in this scene. He

alone comes to Charlie‟s aid and saves him from the hordes of greedy adults. The storekeeper also speaks for the

reader when he tells Charlie he deserves to have found the ticket. The storekeeper is an enigma in this scene.

Summary

The following morning, a large crowd gathers outside of the factory to see the golden ticket holders enter. The five

children and their parents stand next to the gate, protected from the crowd. All of the children, except Charlie—who

clings to Grandpa Joe—have both of their parents with them. And all of them need their parents to keep them from

storming the gates. Charlie hears the conversations in the crowd beyond him. He hears someone identify Violet

Beauregarde and notice that she is still chewing her record-breaking gum. Voices identify Augustus Gloop and call

him enormous. Still more notice Mike Teavee and all his guns. One person calls him crazy. Another wants to see

Veruca Salt, whose father bought her the golden ticket and anything else she screams for. Others respond that she is

dreadful.

Another voice in the crowd asks, “Who is Charlie Bucket?” A responding voice says, “The shrimp standing with the

skeleton.” Voices ask why Charlie is not wearing a coat and suppose that perhaps he cannot afford one. Charlie

squeezes Grandpa Joe‟s hand. Grandpa Joe looks down and smiles at Charlie just as the clock strikes ten, signaling

that it is time to enter the factory. The great iron gates swing open. Everyone becomes quiet, and Mr. Wonka

emerges.

Mr. Wonka is a small man with a goatee and a twinkle in his eyes. His is splendidly dressed in a plum jacket and

green pants with a black top hat and gray gloves. He is full of energy, constantly looking and moving around. With a

little dance in the snow he welcomes his guests. Mr. Wonka asks them to come one at a time with their parents and

show him their tickets. Augustus Gloop goes first and Mr. Wonka greets Augustus and his parents, a process he

repeats for each ticket holder. Next comes Veruca Salt. Mr. Wonka tells Veruca that she has an interesting name,

explaining that he thought a veruca was a wart and then quickly moving on. Then comes Violet Beauregarde and

Mike Teavee, who both get intense handshakes from Mr. Wonka. Finally, Charlie whispers his name to Mr. Wonka.

Mr. Wonka greets Charlie kindly and tells him that he read about Charlie‟s discovery of the ticket the night before in

the morning‟s paper. With the gate locking out the outside world behind them, the tour begins.

Mr. Wonka begins by explaining that the factory is very warm for his workers. When Augustus asks who the workers

are, Mr. Wonka postpones an answer. Charlie stands in a corridor wide enough for a car and as long as he can see.

He is excited by the warm climate. Grandpa Joe notes the amazing smell, and both he and Charlie hear the buzz of

machines in the distance. Mr. Wonka asks everyone to hang their coats on the pegs provided and follow him. He

hustles the five children and nine adults along at a swift pace. They all follow Mr. Wonka as he twists and turns down

seemingly endless hallways. Grandpa Joe tells Charlie not to let go of his hand while Mr. Wonka points out that the

hallways slope downward. Mr. Wonka explains that all the important rooms in his factory are underground because



15

they are too big to fit above ground. After several more turns, Mr. Wonka stops in front of a metal door with the words

“CHOCOLATE ROOM” written on it.

Analys is

This section begins with a clear delineation between the good children and the bad children, both by what is said and

what is seen. The crowd outside the gates provides commentary on each of the five children. Predictably, the

remarks about the four other children are harshly negative. Augustus is a pig, Veruca is nasty, Violet is an incessant

gum chewer, and Mike Teavee is crazy. The only bad thing the crowd can say about Charlie is that he is small. They

assume Charlie is poor because he is not wearing a jacket. All of the other children are dressed appropriately for the

season. Veruca is even wearing an opulent fur. As before, Dahl creates another opportunity for Charlie—

underdressed and without either parent—to appear saintlike, and Charlie‟s endearing behavior is juxtaposed against

that of the other children, each of whom are already misbehaving. The same delineation continues inside the factory.

The group walks into an intensely warm factory, which Charlie immediately appreciates. None of the other children

even notice. When Mr. Wonka explains that the warmth is critical for the survival of his workforce, Charlie is already

aligned with the Oompa-Loompas, who will later be seen as innocent. Charlie looks all the more pitiable and good.

In these chapters, Mr. Wonka begins his battle with Veruca and seems almost eager to bring out her combative and

spiteful nature, which only foreshadows the additional fighting to come. Another instance of foreshadowing occurs in

the form of Mr. Wonka‟s insistence that everyone keep up with his rapid pace. He says that he does not want to lose

anyone at this point in the journey—this, of course, foreshadows the fact that he does eventually lose all of the

children but Charlie. By saying that he does not want to lose any of them now, he subtly concedes that he plans to

lose them later. His nonchalance is a good predictor of how he will react when each of the children earns a terrible

punishment in the factory.

All of the most important rooms in the chocolate factory are underground, and therefore not visible to people above

ground. Above ground and outside the gates of the factory, onlookers might assume that the factory comprises what

they can see. In fact, they are wrong. Dahl uses this discrepancy as proof that things—especially in the factory—are

not always what they seem, especially if people look beyond what is immediately in front of them or use a little

imagination. Indeed, the ultimate prize at the end of the day is one beyond anyone‟s wildest dreams.

Chapters 15 and 16

Summary

Mr. Wonka explains that the chocolate room is the nerve center of his factory. It is a beautiful room—Mr. Wonka does

not care for ugliness. Before entering he warns the children to remain calm inside. The group enters and immediately

encounters an amazing sight: a green valley cut by a brown river, which includes a waterfall. At the base of the

waterfall, giant transparent pipes flow into the river from the ceiling of the room. The pipes suck the bubbling liquid out

of the river and carry i t away. All around the river various trees and flowers grow. Mr. Wonka then explains with great

excitement that the river is made entirely of chocolate. Everyone is too awestruck to speak.

Mr. Wonka explains that the waterfall is the most important part of his chocolate-making process. He believes that

churning chocolate by waterfall is the only correct way to do the job. He then explains that everything around the

group is edible and composed of the finest quality chocolate, including the grass beneath their feet. Everyone then

samples the grass. Charlie and Grandpa Joe tell each other how wonderful the grass tastes, while Augustus scoops

a handful and Violet puts her gum behind her ear. Then Veruca screams in reaction to seeing little people on the

other side of the river. Everyone else finally sees the little people. They are confused by the little people and begin

chattering amongst themselves. The little people look at the children across the river and then begin to laugh

hysterically. Charlie does not believe that they are real people, but Mr. Wonka assures him that the Oompa-Loompas

are perfectly real.

Mr. Wonka explains that the Oompa-Loompas are imported directly from Loompaland, which Mrs. Salt (a geography

teacher) claims does not exist. Mr. Wonka assures her that there is such a place and that it is a terrible place for





17

worry for Augustus. Finally, the pressure builds to a breaking point beneath Augustus and he shoots up the pipe like

a rocket and disappears.

Mrs. Gloop demands to know where her son is while Mr. Wonka attempts to keep her calm by explaining that

Augustus will be just fine. Mrs. Gloop refuses to believe him, fearing that her son will end up as a marshmallow. Mr.

Wonka assures her that Augustus cannot become a marshmallow—after all, the pipe leads to a fudge room. The

Gloops grow indignant when they perceive that Mr. Wonka is laughing at them. Mr. Wonka is indeed laughing, but he

again assures the Gloops that their son will be fine. He tells them that making Augustus into fudge would not make

sense because no one would want to buy it. Mrs. Gloop demands to see her son. Mr. Wonka snaps his fingers and

an Oompa-Loompa appears before him. Mr. Wonka instructs the Oompa-Loompa to escort Mr. and Mrs. Gloop to the

fudge room. The Oompa-Loompa laughs out loud in response to the instructions. After reprimanding the Oompa-

Loompa, Mr. Wonka tells him to hurry and find Augustus before he falls into the boiler. Much to Mrs. Gloop‟s chagrin,

Mr. Wonka jokes about how inedible the fudge would be. After hastily reminding Mrs. Gloop that he is only joking, he

bids farewell to the Gloops as the Oompa-Loompa whisks them away. As the Gloops exit, the other Oompa-Loompas

on the far side of the river begin dancing, beating drums, and singing a song about Augustus‟s greed and how they

will change him for the better without harming him. Mr. Wonka reminds the remaining audience that the Oompa-

Loompas love to sing, but that the subjects of their songs are always nonsense and not to be believed. Charlie asks

Grandpa Joe if the songs are really nonsense and Grandpa Joe says that they must be.

Mr. Wonka ushers the crowd along at a brisk pace while reassuring everyone that Augustus will be fine. Suddenly a

large, pinkViking-style boat appears on the river, rowed by a hundred Oompa-Loompas. Upon seeing the children

and their parents, the Oompa-Loompas burst into laughter. Violet demands to know why they are laughing, but Mr.

Wonka tells her to disregard the Oompa-Loompas‟ laughter, as they think everything is a joke. Everyone boards the

boat, and the Oompa-Loompas begin rowing downstream. Mr. Wonka asks Mike Teavee not to lick the boat and

Veruca Salt tells her father that she wants a boat like Mr. Wonka‟s. Overhearing Veruca‟s demand, Grandpa Joe

whispers to Charlie that Veruca needs a good swift kick. Charlie clings to his grandfather and wonders how there

could be anything more astonishing than what he has already witnessed. Mr. Wonka interrupts Charlie and Grandpa

Joe‟s conversation by handing each a mug overflowing with chocolate from his river. He tells them both to drink and

asks why they look so frail. Grandpa Joe tells Mr. Wonka that there is not much to eat in their household. After

drinking the chocolate, Charlie tells Mr. Wonka how wonderful it is. Mr. Wonka replies that his secret is mixing the

chocolate by waterfall.

Mr. Wonka urges the Oompa-Loompas to row faster as the boat enters a dark tunnel. This causes screams from the

group. Violet worries that the Oompa-Loompas cannot possibly see where they are going, which Mr. Wonka confirms.

All of the parents respond in chorus that Mr. Wonka is crazy. Only Grandpa Joe disagrees. Mr. Wonka calls for light

and the tunnel instantly lights up, showing the passengers a spotless tube and the river moving below them at a

frightful pace. He tells the Oompa-Loompas to row even faster. Mr. Wonka, enjoying himself tremendously, glances

around to observe his guests. Grandpa Joe notices numbered doors in the tunnel with strange signs such as “ALL

CREAMS INCLUDING HAIR CREAM.” Mike Teavee logically asserts that Mr. Wonka does not use hair cream. Mr.

Wonka ignores him. Veruca and Violet ask about similarly nonsensical signs such as “WHIPS FOR WHIPPING

CREAM” and “BEANS INCLUDING HAS BEANS.” Mr. Wonka explains to Violet that she is a “has bean” and that

there is no time for arguing. He calls for the boat to halt.

Analys is

Dahl begins this section by comparing Augustus Gloop to a dog, which proves to be a fair comparison. He listens to

his stomach above all else and seems to have no control over his animalistic urges. He does not even hear people

speaking to him while he drinks from the chocolate river. Like a dog, he might eat himself to death if given the chance.

Mr. Wonka is extremely nonchalant in reaction to Augustus‟s disappearance: he too seems to treat Augustus like an

animal. By telling Mrs. Gloop that Augustus will be fine, Mr. Wonka implies that Augustus will be better off after his

journey up the pipe and the lesson it will teach him. The pain and humiliation will cleanse Augustus of his disgusting

habits, and he will leave the factory a better person. Though this is obvious to Mr. Wonka, it is less so to the Gloops,

who are incensed at Mr. Wonka‟s unfeeling reaction.



18

Dahl continues to employ nonsensical themes in this section, as when he says Augustus cannot possibly be made

into a marshmallow because the pipe in which he is trapped does not lead to the marshmallow room. This does

nothing to comfort the Gloops, but Mr. Wonka is not interested in comforting them. Rather, he wants to teach them a

lesson. Afterward, Mr. Wonka tries to reassure the Gloops that he would never make their son into fudge because it

would not taste good and no one would want to buy it. Although readers can see humor in the response, Mr. Wonka‟s

seeming coldness enrages the Gloops. This style of narration allows young readers ofCharlie and the Chocolate

Factory to feel wiser than some of the characters. The mystique of Mr. Wonka is also elaborated on in these chapters.Echoing the biblical pronouncement in the book of Genesis, Mr. Wonka calls for light and it appears. Indeed, Mr.

Wonka is the supreme being of his own world, and he has the power to submit his guests to whatever he chooses.

These chapters contain the first advancing of a moral through the songs of the Oompa-Loompas. Their first song

discusses how to change a child who is nasty and brutish into one who is lovable. They say that greed is a terrible

character trait and that parents must guard against it. They suggest that by putting a child through a seemingly

torturous cleansing process, the child will come out better for the experience. Mr. Wonka verifies this when he tells

everyone not to worry about Augustus. Throughout the story, Mr. Wonka maintains everything is bound to come out

in the wash. Here, Dahl is espousing the type of cleaning or purification that the Oompa-Loompa song suggests, and

although the characters reappear at the end of the book, some critics have been outraged by the parallels of this

justified punishment with the Holocaust and the Final Solution. However, these complementary plot points may also

just emphasize that people cannot give up on bad children. Instead it is incumbent upon their caregivers to help their

children overcome their demons, even if the process is painful for all involved.

Chapters 19 and 20

Summary

The Oompa-Loompas stop the boat in front of a red door called the inventing room and Mr. Wonka leans over to

unlock it. Mr. Wonka explains that the inventing room is the most important room in the factory and that all the evil

chocolate makers would give anything to get inside. Then he warns his guests to keep their hands off of everything.

The children agree. Mr. Wonka tells them that no one besides himself has ever stepped inside the room. He then

reminds them again to keep their hands off. Charlie‟s impression of the room is that of a witch‟s kitchen with

cauldrons bubbling, steam and pipes everywhere, and endless delicious smells.

Mr. Wonka grows even more excited and animated in this room. He runs from one pot to another, turning dials,

dipping and tasting, and watching a final machine drop green balls out one a time. Mr. Wonka explains that the greenballs are a new invention—everlasting Gobstoppers—designed for poor children: they can be sucked indefinitely and

never grow smaller. Violet thinks this sounds like gum, but Mr. Wonka tells her that if she were to bite one it would

break her jaw. He also explains that an Oompa-Loompa next door is testing a gobstopper and has been sucking it for

the last year without it getting any smaller. Then Mr. Wonka bounds over to another pan where he is cooking hair

toffee, which he explains will grow hair on your head, including a beard and mustache. Veruca wonders who would

want a beard and mustache and Mr. Wonka counters that a beard would be fitting for Veruca. He also explains that

the mixture is not quite right. It grows too much hair, as evidenced by an Oompa-Loompa who now needs a

lawnmower to cut his beard. Mr. Wonka assures everyone that he will get the mixture right and keep little boys and

girls from going bald, to which Mike Teavee responds that little boys and girls do no t go bald. His point goes

unacknowledged.

Mr. Wonka leads the group over to another machine. This machine has countless glass tubes spilling into a large

glass tub. When Mr. Wonka presses the buttons, the machine begins to shake and steam, and the glass tubes shootstreams of various colors into the tub. When the tub fills, Mr. Wonka presses another button and the tub begins

mixing the liquids together, changing colors continually and finally settling on blue. Mr. Wonka tells everyone to watch

as the machine stops whirring and begins sucking the liquid back into its belly. Moments later, a little drawer pops out

of the machine and inside it is a small, flat object that looks like cardboard. Mike Teavee is unimpressed. Mr. Wonka

is incredulous and asks Mike if he knows what the machine has created. Violet interrupts the ensuing silence by

saying that it is gum. Mr. Wonka tells her that she is correct and explains that it is the most amazing gum ever

created.



19

Analys is

These chapters perpetuate the theme that good things come in small packages. The gum-inventing machine packs a

tremendous amount of ingredients into a very small package. Though the gum resembles a boring piece of cardboard,

it is an incredibly complex creation that ought to be judged on more than just its appearance. This line of thinking can

also apply to Charlie. He may be small and meek, but Mr. Wonka senses that he is capable of greatness. Mr.

Wonka‟s fabulous candy creation—Gobstoppers—further distances Charlie from the other children. This candy is

created for kids just like Charlie, who would appreciate a piece of candy that lasts a lifetime. If a child like Violet ever

tried to bite into the gobstopper, it would crack her jaw. But someone who could not appreciate such things would

suffer the consequences. This scene foreshadows Charlie‟s eventual ownership of the factory.

Nonsense continues to abound in these chapters. Mr. Wonka describes his hair toffee, and he proudly proclaims that

little boys and girls will never need to worry about baldness again. Readers can quickly understand the silliness in this

comment, which Mike Teavee points out, but Mr. Wonka dismisses. Furthermore, Mr.Wonka takes the opportunity to

make fun of Veruca when she says she is not interested in hair toffee, telling her she would look good with a beard.

Mr. Wonka has alienated each of the other children for their rudeness, but he never mistreats Charlie.

Chapters 21 and 22

Summary

Mr. Wonka explains that the piece of gum is his most amazing invention yet: it is an entire three-course meal in one

piece of gum. He explains that the piece of gum before him is tomato soup, roast beef, and blueberry pie. Violet asks

what Mr. Wonka means. He explains that while chewing this gum, one would actually taste tomato soup, roast beef ,

and blueberry pie. Furthermore, one would be full after chewing it. He believes his new gum will changes people‟s

lives forever. Veruca says it is impossible.

Violet takes her gum out of her mouth and asks Mr. Wonka to give her the super gum. Mrs. Beauregarde asks Violet

not to do anything silly, but Violet ignores her mother. Mr. Wonka warns Violet that the gum has not been perfected.

But before he can finish, Violet seizes the gum and throws it into her mouth. Violet immediately begins tasting the

soup and says how delicious it is. Mr. Wonka again cautions her, but Violet ignores him. She describes the gum‟s

changing taste. Mr. and Mrs. Beauregarde cheer on their daughter while everyone stares at Violet in awe. Shedescribes the wondrous blueberry pie she tastes. Her mother notices that her nose is changing shape. Violet tells her

mother to be quiet. She continues chewing while her parents watch her begin to turn blue. They tell her to spit out the

gum, but she ignores them. Mr. Wonka maintains that he still has not got the recipe right.

Everyone watches as Violet turns the color of blueberry juice. Mr. Wonka murmurs that dessert messes things up

every time but insists that he will get it right eventually. Mrs. Beauregarde screams that Violet is swelling. Violet

begins to feel ill and her body continues to expand: she is turning into a blueberry. Mr. Wonka explains that the same

thing has happened to twenty different Oompa-Loompas. He does not understand why. Mrs. Beauregarde says she

does not want a blueberry for a daughter. Mr. Wonka snaps his fingers and ten Oompa-Loompas appear. He

instructs them to roll Violet to the juicing room, where, he explains to Mrs. Beauregarde, they will squeeze the juice

out of her and fix her. Mr. Wonka apologizes to the Beauregardes while they follow their daughter‟s rolling body. The

rest of the crowd stares dumbstruck at the scene. Charlie whispers for Grandpa Joe to listen to the song the Oompa-

Loompas are singing. The song is about the ills of chewing gum. The Oompa-Loompas end their song by saying they

will try to save Violet before it is too late, although they are not sure that they can.

Mr. Wonka ushers everyone into the hall and states he does not want to lose any more children in that room. Charlie

asks Mr. Wonka if Violet will be all right. Mr. Wonka responds that she will be fine after being juiced. Charlie wants to

know if Violet will still be blue. Mr. Wonka says that she will be purple, but that is what she gets for chewing gum all

day long. Mike Teavee asks Mr. Wonka why he makes gum if he is so opposed to it. Mr. Wonka tells Mike not to

mumble when he speaks and hurries the rest of the children and adults into the hallway. Charlie holds onto Grandpa

Joe‟s hand as the group winds its way through endless corridor s. All along the hallway, the group passes by doors

from which wonderful sounds, smells, and colors emanate.



20

Hurrying to keep up with Mr. Wonka, Charlie and Grandpa Joe notice a sign on a door that says “Eatable

Marshmallow Pillows.” Mr. Wonka predicts that these pillows will be all the rage soon. Another door guards lickable

wallpaper, which Mr. Wonka explains has pictures of fruits on it that taste like the real thing. He then lists examples of

the fruit: strawberries, bananas, and snozzberries. Mike Teavee asks what a snozzberry tastes like. Mr. Wonka again

tells Mike not to mumble. The group passes other doors containing hot ice cream, chocolate milk cows, and fizzy

lifting drinks. Mr. Wonka briefly explains the content of each room, telling Charlie that they way to get down from a

fizzy lifting drink is to burp: if you do not burp, you will float upward forever. Veruca wants to know why they cannot gointo these rooms, and Mr. Wonka tells her not to be so impatient. Finally the group pauses before a room called

“Square Candies That Look Round.”

Analys is

More foreshadowing and word games fill these chapters. The gum machine creates a gum that is an amazing violet

color. Not only does the machine produce gum, which is Violet‟s obsession, but it also produces gum that instantly

reminds the reader of Violet‟s name. Thus it is no surprise when this gum serves as her downfall. More

foreshadowing occurs in the form of Veruca‟s impatience. Veruca wants to stop in every room that the group passes

by, and she grows increasingly frustrated with Mr. Wonka for ignoring her demands. Her growing impatience

foreshadows the coming punishment for her impetuousness. The use of puns, nonsense, and word games entertain

the reader while advancing the plot. Fruits such as snozzberries, edible pillows, and lickable wallpaper all sound

either strange or implausible, though they can be entertaining to imagine. Mike Teavee pesters Mr. Wonka withquestions about the snozzberries and gum. By ignoring Mike just as he ignores Veruca, Mr. Wonka also casts him in

a negative light.

Just as Augustus is punished as a result of his greed, Violet is punished as a result of her excessive gum chewing.

The punishments that befall the children are specific to their personalities. In order to cure Violet, who has turned into

a giant blueberry, Mr. Wonka sends her to be juiced. This solution is both vague and ominous, and it scares Charlie,

who asks Mr. Wonka if she will be all right. Charlie has no particular reason to care about Violet—she is a nasty and

rotten child—but he is a kind boy and so he does. None of the other children demonstrate the capacity to care about

others. Charlie is quickly becoming the clear favorite of Mr. Wonka.

Chapters 23 and 24

Summary

As the group huddles around a door, Grandpa Joe lifts Charlie up to see into the room containing the square candies

that look ‟round. Charlie sees tables full of candies that look like sugar cubes, except that every cube has a face

painted on each of its sides. The Oompa-Loompas in the room are painting more faces. Mr. Wonka announces that

these are his square candies that look „round. Mike Teavee says that the candies don‟t look round to him. Veruca

says they look square. Veruca and Mr. Wonka argue about whether the candies look round or square. Finally Mrs.

Salt tells Veruca not to listen to Mr. Wonka because he is clearly lying. Mr. Wonka calls Mrs. Salt an old fish and tells

her to go boil her head. Mr. Salt is outraged, but Mr. Wonka tells him to shut up. With an exaggerated gesture, Mr.

Wonka unlocks and opens the door. All of the faces on all of the cubes turn around to look at the crowd. Mr. Wonka

asserts that all the square candies are looking “‟round.” Grandpa Joe agrees with Mr. Wonka.

The group leaves the room and passes another in the hallway called BUTTERSCOTCH and BUTTERGIN. Mr. Salt

likes the look of the room. Mr. Wonka explains that the “scotch” and gin make the Oompa-Loompas giddy. He stops

the group to listen, and behind the door they hear wild laughing and singing. Mr. Wonka explains that they are drunk

on butterscotch and soda, but they also like buttergin and tonic. Mr. Wonka accelerates the pace. Mrs. Salt, a fat

woman with short legs, has trouble keeping up. She looks like a tired rhinoceros. She asks Mr. Wonka to slow down,

but he refuses, saying they will run out of time. Veruca wants to know where they are going next. Mr. Wonka tells her

to be patient.



21

Mr. Wonka stops the group in front of the nut room. He tells everyone to look inside but not to enter or disturb the

squirrels. The children crowd around the door and gasp at seeing one hundred squirrels sitting on stools around a

large table, furiously shelling walnuts. Mr. Wonka explains that the squirrels are specially trained for shelling walnuts.

Mike Teavee asks Mr. Wonka why he uses squirrels instead of Oompa-Loompas. Mr. Wonka explains that only

squirrels can shell walnuts without breaking them, and, furthermore, they can discern a bad nut from a good one.

They do not bother shelling the bad nuts, which they throw down the garbage chute. He points to a squirrel throwing

away a bad nut.

While everyone watches the squirrels in action, Veruca tells her mother she wants one. Mrs. Salt tells Veruca that

she cannot have one because they all belong to Mr. Wonka. But she tel ls Veruca that she will get her a squirrel as

soon as possible. Veruca demands one of Mr. Wonka‟s trained squirrels. Mr. Salt makes Mr. Wonka an offer for a

squirrel, but Mr. Wonka refuses to sell a single one. Veruca rushes into the room to grab one. Mr. Wonka yells for her

not to go into the room but i t is too late. The squirrels all turn and look at Veruca. As she reaches to grab one, all of

the squirrels suddenly pounce on Veruca and knock her on her head. They drag a resistant Veruca toward the

garbage chute. Mr. Wonka announces that Veruca must be a bad nut.

Veruca struggles to no avail and the squirrels pitch her into the chute, where she tumbles down and out of sight. Mrs.

Salt demands to know where her daughter is going. Mr. Wonka explains that the chute containing Veruca eventually

goes to the incinerator. Mrs. Salt screams. Mr. Wonka reassures her that the incinerator might not be lit that day. Mr.

Salt tells Mr. Wonka he has gone too far. Mr. Wonka tells Mr. Salt not to be mad, explaining that Veruca might be

stuck in the chute. The Salts burst into the squirrel room and peer down into the shoot. The squirrels shove them

down the chute too. Very concerned, Charlie asks Mr. Wonka what will happen. Mr. Wonka tells Charlie that things

will probably be fine. Grandpa Joe interrupts to make everyone listen to the next Oompa-Loompa song. The song is

about Veruca. It says that she is in garbage because she is spoiled, and that her parents are to blame and therefore

they deserve to go down the chute too.

Analys is

By this point, everyone is beginning to tire of Mr. Wonka‟s antics except Charlie and Grandpa Joe. In the exchange

about candies that look „round, both Mike and Veruca contradict Mr. Wonka. Mr. Wonka assures the children that

they are wrong even though he knows they are misconstruing “round” when he actually means “around.” During this

time, Charlie does not say anything contrary to Mr. Wonka‟s assertions. As the other children and their parents

continue to disagree with Mr. Wonka, he grows incensed. Charlie and Grandpa Joe agree with Mr. Wonka‟s

assertions, which further separates them from the others. Another example of the same type of word play occurs

when the group passes the room with butterscotch and buttergin. These jokes are more immediately obvious to

adults, but through contextual clues they make sense to children as well.

Mr. Wonka foreshadows Mrs. Salt‟s demise when he tells her she is a fish and should boil her head. When Mrs. Salt

follows Veruca down the garbage chute, she mingles with trash, including boiled fish heads. Another instance of

foreshadowing occurs when Veruca impatiently demands a trained squirrel. It is these very squirrels who will deem

her a bad nut and send her down the garbage chute. Mr. Wonka‟s joke about the incinerator can be read in one of

two ways: either he is certain that the incinerator is off, or he does not care i f Veruca dies. In spite of his seeming

indifference, it seems unlikely that Mr. Wonka would condemn Veruca to death. Because he is certain that everything

will work out, the reader can assume that Veruca (and the others) will survive. Charlie‟s concern for Veruca continues

to distinguish him from the others. Ostensibly, Charlie has no reason to fear for Veruca‟s safety. She has never beennice to him, and, in fact, she has never even engaged him in conversation. But Charlie is a truly caring person. Mr.

Wonka‟s certainty that everything will turn out fine is enough to satisfy Charlie, who trusts him completely.

hapters 25 and 26

Summary

Mr. Wonka remarks that all the children are disappearing, but no one should worry because they will all be fine. He

sizes up the remaining group and suggests moving on. Mike Teavee says he is tired and wants to watch television.



22

Mr. Wonka replies that since Mike is tired, they should all take the elevator. He leads them into an elevator with a

thousand buttons on each wall and the ceiling. Charlie notices that each button is labeled with a room name. Mr.

Wonka explains that the elevator can travel in any direction and that it is made entirely of glass to allow for full

viewing. Grandpa Joe reacts in wonder. Mike Teavee says there is nothing to see. Mr. Wonka tells the children to

hurry up and pick a button. Mike asks if there is a television room. Mr. Wonka points to the TELEVISION ROOM

button and Mike pushes it gleefully. The elevator takes off sideways, knocking over everyone except Mr. Wonka. Mr.

Wonka helps a screaming Mrs. Teavee to her feet and instructs everyone to hold onto a strap. Charlie cannot reachand so he holds tight to Grandpa Joe‟s legs. Mrs. Teavee fears the rollercoaster ride means the elevator is broken,

but Mr. Wonka tells her to relax. Grandpa Joe checks to see if Charlie is all right, and Charlie responds that he loves

the ride.

Mrs. Teavee says she is going to be sick, so Mr. Wonka gives her his hat. Mike Teavee tells Mr. Wonka to stop the

elevator. He explains that it will not stop until it reaches the destination and then wonders out loud if anyone else is

using the elevator shaft from the other direction. This horrifies the Teavees. Mr. Wonka says they are nearly at their

destination and asks Mrs. Teavee not to soil his hat. A moment later the elevator stops. Mike Teavee wipes the sweat

from his face and Mrs. Teavee refuses to ever ride the elevator again. As they exit, Mr. Wonka warns everyone to be

very careful in the television room.

The group exits the elevator and steps into a blindingly white room. Mr. Wonka hands out dark glasses and tells

everyone to wear them at all times. Protected by the glasses, Charlie looks around and sees a long white room. It is

bare except for a camera at one end, which is surrounded by an army of Oompa-Loompas, and a television set at the

other end, which is manned by a single Oompa-Loompa. The Oompa-Loompas near the camera wear spacesuits. Mr.

Wonka excitedly explains that the room is for testing television chocolate. When Mike Teavee asks what television

chocolate is, Mr. Wonka demands that he stop interrupting. Mr. Wonka thinks that television is bad, but in small

doses it can be okay. He notes that children always want endless amounts of it. Mike Teavee chimes in his

agreement. When Mr. Teavee tells Mike to shut up, Mr. Wonka thanks him and goes on to explain his interpretation

of how real television works. Mike Teavee disagrees with Mr. Wonka, who feigns deafness. When Mike persists, Mr.

Wonka tells him he is a nice boy, but he talks too much.

Mr. Wonka imagines spreading chocolate into every home in the same manner that television is spread. Mike Teavee

declares it impossible, so Mr. Wonka does a demonstration. Six Oompa-Loompas carry in a bar of chocolate the size

of a bed. Mr. Wonka explains that the chocolate has to start big, because, as with real television, the things shrink to

fit the screen. He then calls for action but halts it to implore Mike Teavee to stand back. Mr. Wonka explains the

danger of the camera and that the Oompa-Loompas wear spacesuits to protect themselves from the rays. Again Mr.

Wonka calls for action, and the chocolate bar disappears. Mr. Wonka explains that it is traveling overhead in a million

pieces and rushes everyone over to the television. The chocolate bar appears on screen and Mr. Wonka tells the

children to take it. Mike Teavee laughs at Mr. Wonka, saying he cannot take a picture off of a screen. Mr. Wonka then

orders Charlie to take it and Charlie does so, though he nearly drops it out of astonishment. Mr. Wonka tells Charlie

to eat the chocolate while Grandpa Joe exclaims his amazement. Mr. Wonka explains he will use television chocolate

to advertise his chocolate directly into people‟s homes and hands. Grandpa Joe is astounded.

Analys is

The moralizing tone persists in these chapters. Mr. Wonka tells everyone not to worry about the other children

because everything will work out. The children in the story—as well as the reader—must trust Mr. Wonka that theirpunishments are justified and not overly harsh. Mr. Wonka continues moralizing when he talks about television. His

contention that television is not a bad thing when used in moderation is immediately followed by his disclaimer that

children can rarely accept moderation. In essence, Mr. Wonka claims that television is always bad for children.

Charlie and Grandpa Joe are again distinguished from everyone else during the elevator ride. They love the crazy

elevator, and they don‟t fall for Mr. Wonka‟s joke about someone else possibly using the elevator shaft. In short, they

trust him. The Teavees do not. Mrs. Teavee is on the verge of being sick and Mike Teavee even asks Mr. Wonka to

stop the ride. Charlie and Grandpa Joe comport themselves like excellent guests, but the same cannot be said for the



23

Teavees. Charlie further separates himself from Mike by picking up on small warnings, such as the imminent danger

in the television room. Mike does not care to notice this, even after Mr. Wonka explains it to him. It is clear that he will

not heed Mr. Wonka‟s warnings to be careful, so Mike‟s demise becomes easy to predict.

Mr. Wonka‟s affection for Charlie continues to grow. When Mr. Wonka asks Mike Teavee to take the televised

chocolate from the screen, Mike says he can‟t. His lack of respect and lack of imagination doubly insult Mr. Wonka.

When Mr. Wonka asks Charlie to try and take the chocolate bar off of the screen, he suspends his disbelief and

reaches for it. His attempt to take the chocolate bar shows Charlie to be dutiful (he listens to directions) and

respectful (he does what he is told by his elders), two traits that Mr. Wonka clearly values in children. Finally, Mr.

Wonka reinforces the distinction between Mike and Charlie by calling Charlie by his full name. This is a sign of

respect, and it is something he does not do for any other child inside the factory. Charlie is enamored of Mr. Wonka,

and Grandpa Joe has nothing but praise for Mr. Wonka, adding to Mr. Wonka‟s omnipotence in Charlie‟s mind.

Chapters 27 and 28

Summary

Mike Teavee pesters Mr. Wonka about the possibility of sending people by television. Mr. Wonka deems it possible,

but he will not because of the danger. But Mike has already raced toward the camera. Mr. Wonka and Mike‟s parentsshout for him to stop, but they are too late. Mike jumps in front of the lens and disappears in a blinding flash of light.

Mr. and Mrs. Teavee react to their son‟s disappearance while Mr. Wonka ushers everyone to the television. While

waiting for Mike to tune in, Mr. Wonka cautions the Teavees that sometimes only part of the chocolate appears.

Suddenly the screen begins to flicker, and slowly Mike Teavee becomes clear, waving to everyone. He is one inch tall.

Mrs. Teavee wants to know if Mike is all right, while Mr. Teavee consults Mr. Wonka about his size. Meanwhile, Mike

tells everyone that he is the first person ever sent by television.

Mrs. Teavee grabs her son, as per Mr. Wonka‟s instructions. He assures her that Mike is fine, but she disagrees. She

vows to get rid of the television as soon as she gets home. Hearing this, Mike throws a tantrum, and Mr. Teavee

shoves Mike into his breast pocket. Mr. Wonka suggests putting Mike on a stretching machine, saying he is unsure

how far the boy will stretch or how thin he will be. But he assures the Teavees that he will fatten Mike up with a

special dietary supplement. Mr. Wonka then sends the Teavees away with an Oompa-Loompa, telling them that

everything will come out in the wash. The Oompa-Loompas then sing a song about the ills of television and thevirtues of reading.

Grandpa Joe points out to Mr. Wonka that Charlie is the only child left. Mr. Wonka pauses, then reacts with wild

excitement, congratulating Charlie on his victory. He says there is so much to do, including collecting people, and

searches for a particular button in the glass elevator. Charlie recognizes that something crazy is about to happen,

and although he is confused, he is not afraid. Like Grandpa, Joe he is excited. He watches Mr. Wonka reach for a

button called “UP AND OUT,” and wonders where they are headed. The elevator takes off at a furious pace. Grandpa

Joe yells with glee. Mr. Wonka yells for the elevator to go faster. Mr. Wonka then explains that he has been longing to

press the “UP AND OUT” button for a long time but did not want to make a hole in the roof.

Grandpa Joe says the glass elevator will be destroyed when it crashes through the roof. Mr. Wonka concedes he

may be right. With a huge crash, the elevator explodes through the roof of the factory and straight up into the sky.

Grandpa Joe cries that the elevator is mad. Mr. Wonka presses a button that makes it stop in midair. Charlie looks

down at the town below, feeling as though he is standing on air. Grandpa Joe asks how the elevator remains

levitating, and Mr. Wonka explains it is powered by candy. He then draws their attention to the other children leaving

the factory.

Analys is

In these chapters, Mr. Wonka‟s morality resonates with his guests for the first time. Mike Teavee‟s obsession with

television is clearly a terrible thing. Mike‟s parents, who to this point have been complicit in the television‟s parenting

of their son, become convinced of the ills they have perpetuated. Mrs. Teavee assures everyone that she will be



24

getting rid of the household television as soon as she arrives home. Mike‟s reaction of horror almost parallels a drug

addict being denied the beloved drug. The Oompa-Loompas hammer the point home in their moralizing song about

how television watching is bad and reading is good. Here Dahl makes a shameless plug for his own work as an

author.

Charlie and Grandpa Joe grow even closer in these chapters. For the first time in the story, Grandpa Joe doubts Mr.

Wonka—he fears that the glass elevator will kill everyone. This is also the first time that Grandpa Joe and Charlie

differ in their attitudes toward Mr. Wonka. All along Grandpa Joe has been Charlie‟s partner in dreaming about Mr.

Wonka‟s factory, and he persistently disagrees with all of the other parents, who think that Mr. Wonka is a maniac.

But only Charlie passes the final test. This further cements Charlie as the heir apparent to Mr. Wonka himself.

Chapters 29 and 30

Summary

Mr. Wonka brings the glass elevator lower to allow Charlie to see the other children leaving the factory. Charlie only

notices three other children, and Mr. Wonka explains that Mike Teavee will be along soon. He then explains that the

trucks below are filled with the first installment of a lifetime supply of chocolate for each child. Mr. Wonka points out

Augustus Gloop, who is now quite thin. Mr. Wonka explains that each of the other children has changed. Augustus is

thinner from being squeezed in the pipe. Violet is blue in the face, though she seems otherwise normal. Veruca is

covered with garbage. Then Mike Teavee appears, taller and thinner than anyone else. Charlie thinks it is terrible thatMike has clearly been overstretched. But Mr. Wonka assures him that the mistake will be fortunate for Mike, who will

now be pursued by every basketball team in the country. Mr. Wonka sends the elevator skyward again, telling Charlie

that he must speak to him about something important.

Mr. Wonka tells Charlie how much he loves his chocolate factory. He then asks what Charlie thinks of it, and Charlie

replies that he loves it too. Thrilled with Charlie‟s response, Mr. Wonka explains to Charlie that he has decided to give

the factory to him. Charlie is speechless. Grandpa Joe thinks he is joking, but Mr. Wonka assures him that he is not.

He explains to Charlie that he is an old man and cannot go on forever. He is looking for a child like Charlie who will

run the factory exactly the way he has always run it. He believes an adult would want to change things, and he does

not want that. Charlie immediately understands the idea behind the golden tickets. Mr. Wonka explains that the child

he liked best would get the factory. Grandpa Joe remains skeptical.

Mr. Wonka turns the elevator in the direction of Charlie‟s home. He explains that Charlie‟s entire family can move into

the factory. Charlie says his mother will not be able to come because she must tend to his other grandparents. Mr.

Wonka says Charlie‟s grandparents can come too and assures Charlie the details will sort themselves out. He then

announces that he will crash right through the roof of Charlie‟s home. Charlie and Grandpa Joe shout for him to stop,

but they are too late. The elevator crashes through the roof, raining debris on the Bucket family. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket

run into the room, amazed at the damage, while the grandparents shout for help. Grandpa Joe, Charlie, and Mr.

Wonka exit the elevator, telling everyone to remain calm as they recount their story. The grandparents scream and

refuse to leave the house. Ignoring their screams, Mr. Wonka, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe push the bed into the

elevator. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket follow them. As the elevator ascends, Charlie calms his grandparents by explaining

that they are going to the most wonderful place in the world. One grandparent wonders if there will be food at their

destination. Charlie laughs in response, telling them to wait and see.

Analys is

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ends on a decidedly happy note. Dahl completes his moralizing by marching the

punished kids before the winner. All of the formerly bad kids have changed for the better. To prove this point, Mr.

Wonka explains to Charlie that even though Mike Teavee is overstretched, making him looking like an emaciated

giant, the overstretching will make Mike the envy of every basketball coach in the country. Showing each of the

punished kids alive and well validates the author‟s cruelty to them. In effect, Dahl is showing that he had to be cruel to

the kids in order to help them get better. The children are the beneficiaries of Mr. Wonka‟s kindness, even if he

seemed cruel in the process.



25

Dahl continues in these chapters to separate grandfather and grandson in order to make Charlie the only possible

candidate to take over the factory. Just as Grandpa Joe doubts Mr. Wonka‟s glass elevator, he is skeptical about Mr.

Wonka giving Charlie the chocolate factory. Grandpa Joe‟s skepticism further highlights Charlie as the only one who

never lost faith in Mr. Wonka. This final distancing of Grandpa Joe from Charlie solidifies Dahl‟s contention

throughout the novel that children are good and adults are not. Those children who do not seem good are that way

because of poor parenting.

Dahl ends the novel by reframing how a child ought to be. Mr. Wonka explains the author‟s position when he outlines

how Charlie is the perfect child to run the factory. Charlie has to be respectful, which he has already established. He

also has to be willing to do things exactly as Mr. Wonka wants them done, which his unflagging faith in Mr. Wonka

predicts. Finally he needs to have the imagination and love for the factory that will ensure future success. Charlie‟s

acknowledgment that he too loves the factory proves to Mr. Wonka beyond any doubt that Charlie is the one.

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