Because most writers are adults, most children’s stories tend to have a theme of trusting adults and authority. After all, isn’t it a good message to teach kids that you should be obedient and a good little kid? But stories like Coraline (which I already wrote about) and Matilda challenge this message: What about adults who are wrong, and children who are right? The truth is, authority can’t always be trusted, and children should be taught to think deeper about their elders.
Matilda immediately throws the idea of “perfect parents” and “trusting your elders” out the window. Matilda’s parents are verbally abusive, and she actively fights back whenever she feels something wrong has been done to her. All three forms of Matilda (the book, movie, and Broadway adaptation) have gotten some criticism for teaching children to rebel. But I believe this message is a good start to teaching kids about the evil in the world, and validation for children who don’t have good parents.
Yes, many aspects of Matilda are exaggerated. Even abusive adults rarely throw children out of windows or make them eat an entire chocolate cake like Miss Trunchbull. But the way Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood berate Matilda is frighteningly accurate to child abuse in the real world. And while most children won’t fight back in the extreme, clever way that Matilda does, it’s a way to teach young readers something: “No, these things being done to you aren’t okay just because they are an adult and you are a child.” As Broadway Matilda declares in her song Naughty, “That’s not right!” It’s such a validation to victims of abuse. And yes, it is abuse; just because the Wormwoods never physically hurt Matilda doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly harmful and damaging to child development.
Matilda also teaches children to find the good adults out of the “bad” ones. Miss Honey is an authority figure that should be trusted because she is openly loving and compassionate towards children, while the other adults in the story are selfish, cruel, and look down upon Matilda just because she’s a child. But Miss Honey judges people by their character, not their age. And she has her own character arc of learning to stand up for herself (shown more explicitly in the Broadway musical) after years of being abused, showing that even adults can feel “weak” like a child and struggle to find bravery.
In a way, she is the main character because she changes the most out of every character in the story. Matilda is always brave and witty, the abusive adults like Miss Trunchbull (even though she runs at the end) and the Wormwoods stay cruel, but Miss Honey grows by defying her aunt and finally confessing the pain she went through during her childhood. The way the Broadway musical makes her parents an acrobat and an escapologist is symbolic, showing she came from brave, loving people and she has the same hidden strengths in her.
Children’s stories that take a more nuanced approach to the world instead of “kids should trust adults” are healthier media for young people to consume than most other books and movies. While a child won’t be able to elaborately explain the message of a story, they’re smarter than people think, and will absolutely subconsciously pick up on themes. That’s why a role model like Matilda is important; she values intelligence and standing up for herself, only making room for authority that is fair and just. Even Miss Honey can be a role model for adults who feel “pathetic.” Any person of any age can learn to stand up against unjust authority and find courage, whether that courage is found through books, knowledge, or kindness.
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Annabelle this literary analysis is by far my favorite, maybe because I love the story, Matilda! I liked how you talked more about the importance of telling the story of Matilda because it shows that it is ok for children to stand up to adults when they feel something is not right. I liked how you talked about Miss Honey’s character because she has a big role in the story. I liked how you talked about her childhood and how her parents, the Escapologist and the Acrobat represented bravery and love and at the end of the story, Miss Honey finds that strength that she always had in her because of her parents. I always thought it showed what kind of people the wormwoods were at the beginning of the musical when they make fun of the Escapologist and Acrobat like they were better parents than them. Anyways I also want to tell you to want an amazing job you did as Miss Honey in Matilda the Musical. I am so proud of you! From when I first met you when you were nervous to audition for another play to now and you're blowing away people with your Miss Honey! I can’t wait to see what you are going to do next and I look forward to performing with you again. Great job on your Blog! Oh, and thank you for putting pictures of yourself :)))
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