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He's a kid, poor as hell, and his supposedly bedridden grandfather is telling him a story, when his mom tells him it's time for bed. And Charlie and Grandpa Joe immediately decide to finish talking about Mr. Wonka's mysterious workers the next night. 

Well of course he obeys. The punishment for disobedience was probably skipping  a meal. In my book is does have Charlie whining "but mooooom, I just have to hear it!"* or something similar before going to bed.

I ran upstairs to see if I had a pretty picture of the castle, but no, nothing in my book. Quentin Blake I'm disappointed!

*this is my rough 'back to english' translation

I love Quentin Blake too much to feel a big disappointment,  only a little one.

I love this book, Roald Dahl was my favourite author when I was growing up, my edition was printed in 1985 and was illustrated by Michael Foreman, this is the picture from chapter 3 from my copy of the book.

Waiting till the next night to hear the end of a story was a familiar theme in the children's read-aloud literature that I tended to read.  I guess it gives the parent in charge of the bedtime story permission to close the book and end the chapter of the day.  And it adds an additional subversive thrill for the independent child reader who cannot and will not wait another minute to turn the page and find out what happened next.

The jingoism and racism in this chapter is extremely problematic and it ran right through my childhood reading.  In fantasy woodland stories, the "brownies" were always the bad guys. In boarding school stories, the "foreign" students were always the ones who were reckless, dishonest and/or stupid. American pupils in Enid Blyton's literature were typically lazy, arrogant, wore make-up and tried to act older than their years, until the English girls put them in their place and taught them how to behave "properly". And the Americans weren't half as "bad" as the French!  And then there was fiery, monkeyish Carlotta, the Spanish girl... 

I am interested to know if the actual text of CATCC has been changed as well as the illustrations in later editions of the book - can anyone confirm this please? 

2 hours ago, blessalessi said:

Waiting till the next night to hear the end of a story was a familiar theme in the children's read-aloud literature that I tended to read.  I guess it gives the parent in charge of the bedtime story permission to close the book and end the chapter of the day.  And it adds an additional subversive thrill for the independent child reader who cannot and will not wait another minute to turn the page and find out what happened next.

The jingoism and racism in this chapter is extremely problematic and it ran right through my childhood reading.  In fantasy woodland stories, the "brownies" were always the bad guys. In boarding school stories, the "foreign" students were always the ones who were reckless, dishonest and/or stupid. American pupils in Enid Blyton's literature were typically lazy, arrogant, wore make-up and tried to act older than their years, until the English girls put them in their place and taught them how to behave "properly". And the Americans weren't half as "bad" as the French!  And then there was fiery, monkeyish Carlotta, the Spanish girl... 

I am interested to know if the actual text of CATCC has been changed as well as the illustrations in later editions of the book - can anyone confirm this please? 

I will have to find the source, but I read that originally the Oompa Loompas were black and from Africa  and they changed that.  

http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/UCB_McNair_Journal_2012_wc.pdf

The idea of a white guy 'rescuing' a culture of black people so they can work in his factory, living in his quarters, and be paid in candy...and so grateful for his kindness.  Problematic doesn't even begin to cover it.

so changing it to fair people from loompaland was in the 72 revision.

6 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I will have to find the source, but I read that originally the Oompa Loompas were black and from Africa  and they changed that.  

http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/UCB_McNair_Journal_2012_wc.pdf

The idea of a white guy 'rescuing' a culture of black people so they can work in his factory, living in his quarters, and be paid in candy...and so grateful for his kindness.  Problematic doesn't even begin to cover it.

so changing it to fair people from loompaland was in the 72 revision.

I'm not to the Oompa Loompa's yet, but the drawings are definitely not appropriate for modern audiences. 

That's a brilliant article (though I had to skim the stuff about the films, because ONLY THE BOOK IS REAL ).

What age could you start to have a discussion about those themes with children in a classroom, do you think?  I want to say age 10. I was quite militant by 10. 

A detailed background article from Lucy Mangan at The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/30/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-50-years-roald-dahl-quentin-blake

13 hours ago, blessalessi said:

A detailed background article from Lucy Mangan at The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/30/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-50-years-roald-dahl-quentin-blake

This was such an interesting article - thanks for posting it.  And how did I not know he was married to Patricia Neal?

I am a huge Waltons fan and I saw the original movie, the Homecoming, long after I was into the series so she will forever be "not Olivia" to me, but she was a great actress and did one of the most touching Little House eps too.  

Aw, now you're being all nice about my article and I have come back to have another go at defending my childhood-hero-turned-racist-granddad.

6 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

This was such an interesting article - thanks for posting it.  And how did I not know he was married to Patricia Neal?

I am a huge Waltons fan and I saw the original movie, the Homecoming, long after I was into the series so she will forever be "not Olivia" to me, but she was a great actress and did one of the most touching Little House eps too.  

 

Dangit, HerNameIsBuffy!   That is EXACTLY what I came back to say!  

I had no idea Road Dahl helped create the shunt that has been such a help to generations of hydrocephalic babies.  Wow.