"The Witches", by Roald Dahl

The Witches, by Roald Dahl, follows an orphaned boy living with his grandmother as he is introduced into the world of witches. Witches are evil, insidious creatures that hide their deformities beneath regular clothes and walk unnoticed among the general public. Despite their hatred of children, they are experts at disguise and at first blush they seem sweet and kind. Only when it is too late do most children realize that they've been had by a witch. When the boy and his grandmother decide to go rest at an inn, they accidentally stumble upon a worldwide Grand Convention of Witches, who are meeting to devise a plan to get rid of all children. The witches soon find out about the boy, and turn him into a mouse. It is then up to the boy to stop them before it's too late for the other children.

The quote I chose for this book is taken from the page where the boy decides that even though he is still a mouse, he is going to decide to save the other children.
"We've got to stop them," I said.
She turned and stared at me. "You can't stop witches," she said. "Just look at the power that terrible Grand High Witch has in her eyes alone! She could kill any of us at any time with those white-hot sparks of hers! You saw it yourself (134)!"
The reason i chose this quote is that it perfectly embodies the style of Roald Dahl. Even when dealing with an extremely stereotyped subject such as witches, he makes his own version for the reader to adopt, and it becomes the norm for them. This trailblazing quality is what makes Roald Dahl so famous. He redefines subjects that have solid definitions in order to create a story that will captivate his reader. Another way this quote reflects Dahl's style is it's intensity. While other authors tend to tone down children's books and stay away from intense writing, Dahl realizes that what captivates adults also captivates children. This is what causes him to write children's books about murderous witches rather than animals on a farm. He knows that children like hearing about action and suspense and risk, and it is a large part of his success.

Dahl's writing draws many personal connections for me. The concept of a mouse taking on hundreds of powerful witches reminds me of high school. High school is a massive undertaking, and at times it can seem like the amount of effort required to sustain a good grade as well as a social and extracurricular life is monumental. The story ending with the mouse beating the witches is an encouragement, saying that even though it seems daunting, it is still possible.

Much like in his other books, the family ties and relationships in The Witches are held with the utmost importance. To the boy, his grandmother is the most important person in the entire world. Throughout the book, she is the one who offers sound advice and guidance. She always knows what to do in crisis situations, and can be counted on to protect the boy. The families in Dahl's books are what i call "cookie cutter families." The mother is usually sweet and caring, the father is strong and guiding, the siblings are annoying, and the grandparents are wise and kind. This book is no different. even though there are no parents, they are still reflected upon as the above stereotypes.

Following the path of the other books, "The Witches" contains a valuable virtue that ends up saving the character's life. The virtue of this book is that everything isn't always what it seems. The characters are constantly having to reexamine what they consider to be reality, and are ever cautious of the world around them. The book preaches observance, as well as caution.


The picture I chose represents the grandmother in the story. She is the one who originally brings up the subject of witches, and teaches the boy how to spot a real witch by looking for several telltale signs. Throughout the book she plays the role of the teacher and guidance, getting the duo out of sticky situations with her knowledge of witches. likewise, a wiseman can always be counted on to know what to do, and is often used as guidance in other stories.



What other virtues can be taken from the text?

What other writing does Dahl use this style in?

What can be inferred from the grandmother-grandson dynamic?

What can be said about the non-typical characterization of witches?

Where else can this be seen in Dahl's writing?


As usual, this book comes with a heartwarming ending and a lesson to boot, and contains lovable characters and hateable villains. one thing i have learned from these readings is that Dahl has a bit of a story template, where all of his characters are mostly ordinary people going up agains extraordinary odds. If you are looking for a good story that keeps you on your toes, i recommend this book. If you are looking for a new age writing style, this classic is not for you.