KidLit Forum

The main character of the book Matilda by Roald Dahl is a girl who is extraordinary in many ways, including intelligence and superpowers, which she does not know about until one day. Starting the age of only 4 she has a brilliant mind and has the desire to read and know more than most adults do.

She starts borrowing books from the library, which she does not really understand but enjoys reading them, somehow pleasing her mind. Shortly, she is a genius. She was born in a mean family that did not see the gift she was carrying and always bullying her for not being like them: sitting all day in front of the TV or cheating people as her father did on his cars business.

Even at school, Matilda and her colleagues were bullied by the principal, Mrs Trunchbull, who enjoyed punishing children that did not do things as she wanted. But Matilda grew attached to her teacher, Mrs Honey, who is a sweet and caring person, that loves her students and what them to increase their knowledge but can't because of the principal's hatred for children.

During the injustices performed by Mrs Trunchbull on other students, she feels some kind of power inside her that she cannot describe, like the hatred for bullying and for Mrs Trunchull's attitude toward her colleagues but cannot bo anything being faced to a greater authority than herself. She still feels helpless being a little girl against such a monster.

Her true telekinetic power is let go when Mrs Trunchull hatred turns to Matilda and wants to discipline her. Seems like revenge was the peak that allowed her full power to loosen. After Matilda finds out that Mrs Trunchbull is Mrs Honey's aunt, and the horror Mrs Honey has been gone through, seem like the perfect way to give the principal a lesson.

After Mrs Trenchbull enters Matilda's classroom to discipline de group, Matilda uses her supernatural powers to write on the blackboard a message for her, but looking like a ghost did it. Starts by writing first "Agatha", which is Mrs Trunchbull's name, and continuing with "It's Magnus...", who was Mrs Hoeny's father, who died of a mysterious death, which the principal might have been involved in. The writing goes on threatening to get her if she does not do as she is told. This scared to death the principal, who faint and nobody ever heard of her.

In my opinion, I have first thought that the writer introduced the splash of supernatural to prove a point of what a great mind can do if not challenged to its limits and kept at a low level and the moment it gave out is extraordinary. Having the moral that children's minds need to always be challenged to aim higher.

Also, I have also thought that this point was also introduced to emphasize Matilda's super gift. Children love superheroes that they can relate to, especially if they are the same age.

According to the website ScreenPrism, Matilda can use this telekinetic power for revenge. The newt that was thrown onto Mrs Trunchbull from the glass of water, as a result of blaming Matilda for being there and also the writing on the blackboard after finding out Mrs Honey's life story, are actions resulting from anger, revenge. As a little child unable to use force or knowledge of other words, she succeeds in using her mind. I also agree with hits interpretation, as it seems relevant to what happens in the book.

In the issue, these are subjective opinions, everybody has a different view on it. Children of Matilda's age might see the truth in her actions.

Works Cited:
Brooke, Holman. "Q: How Are Matilda’s Powers a Manifestation of Her Relationship to Authority." ScreenPrism. LLC, 2 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2019.