This article is written in British English, which has its own spelling conventions (colour, travelled, centre, defence, artefact, analyse) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus. |
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What's with the etymology? Interesting, but I don't think it's at all relevant.
i don't know how to do it, but i think that this particular section should be merged into the roald dahl section about children books themes. [asd[User:B cubed|b_cubed]] 05:19, 6 August 2006 (UTC)
Part of the Trunchbull's fright when the message is written on the board is that it contains the line 'I'll kill you like you killed me' (approximately. Is this relevant? Should it be put in the synopsis? 169.229.121.94 22:06, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
There is nothing ironic about the fact that the book focuses more on the importance of books, so I took that word out.
I couldn't think of a reason to include a massive list of all possible changes in the article, so I trimmed and rewrote the section. The old one was quite impressive, so I'm preserving it here to delight information freaks, such as most of us. -- Kizor 02:38, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
I can't find where her surname is mentioned in the book. Has someone perhaps confused her with the Harry Potter character? 91.105.35.31 19:38, 23 May 2007 (UTC)
I toatally love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*************************************************************!!**
It looks like the Miss Trunchbull article was recently changed to redirect here, which deleted about 8k of text. If anyone is interested in adding bits of the former Miss Trunchbull to this article, I've copied the text below (with some modifications to the section headers). Please feel free to incorporate this text, or perhaps undo the change of the Miss Trunchbull article to a redirect. Lisatwo 02:13, 14 August 2007 (UTC)
Agatha Trunchbull, also known simply as "the Trunchbull", is the fictional headmistress of "Crunchem Hall Primary School" in Roald Dahl's book Matilda, said to look "more like an eccentric and rather bloodthirsty follower of the stag-hounds than the headmistress of a nice school for children." She is a harsh, cruel educator and tyrant, and this, together with Matilda's unfair treatment from her parents is perhaps why the book has remained popular among children, as something that the reader may be able to relate to.
The Trunchbull, as she is known, is "a fierce tyrannical monster who frightens the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". It is unclear how she ever came to be a teacher, as she has no interest in the health, welfare or education of children so much in relation to punishing them. She even expresses some disappointment when a child answers a question correctly. Her idea of detention is to keep badly-behaved children in a horrific torture device which is called "The Chokey" (which is essentially a closet that's filled with sharp blades) or swings them in the air, often without any evidence they have actually committed a crime or simply because she does not like them. She is an avid athlete and former Olympian, and is known for her skills in the hammer throw. It is also hinted that she has practiced karate or judo. Indeed, the only Health and Safety standards she seems to acknowledge as far as her students are concerned is that she must not hit them with the riding crop that she often carries around.
It is her custom at Crunchem Hall to cover for a class for one lesson in each week. After making one boy stand on one leg in the corner, holding up another by the hair and yet another by the ears, she finally meets her match in the form of two girls in the class: Lavender and the central character, Matilda. Lavender had placed a newt in the Trunchbull's jug of water and thereby startled her as she was pouring the contents into a glass. Eager to find someone to blame and furious at having lost face in front of the children, she accuses Matilda. Whilst simmering at the injustice of this, Matilda stares at the glass and, it seems, causes it to fall of its own accord and empty its contents- newt and all- over the Trunchbull, thus enraging (and mystifying) her into leaving the room.
The one member of staff at Crunchem Halls that seems to fear the Trunchbull above all is Miss Jennifer Honey. It transpires that the Trunchbull is her aunt, and had raised her on the death of her parents, putting her through psychological and possibly even physical torture. She also managed to get possession of Miss Honey's late father's house by forging a document of his will, knowing her niece could not contest it because she didn't have the money- she having been forced to sign away her salary into the Trunchbull's bank. On learning this, Matilda practices her new-found gift at moving objects just by looking hard at them privately, at home. When the Trunchbull comes, the following week, to take her cover lesson, Matilda causes some chalk to rise up in the air and write on the blackboard a message that she pretends is being caused by the ghost of Miss Honey's father, closing it with the ominous words: "I am watching you, Agatha."
Thus traumatized, the Trunchbull leaves the school and district forever. She also returns Miss Honey's wages and reveals her father's true will and testament, that the house she had been living in had in fact been left to Miss Honey all along. A newer, nicer teacher, the previous deputy, is pronounced headmaster (in the movie, Miss Honey becomes the principal of the school), and the school is consequently much happier. Matilda is later moved to the top form, where her academic potential is appreciated.
Some of the Trunchbull's more bizarre (though abusive) treatment of pupils include:
This leads Matilda to speculate that the reason parents never try to challenge the headmistress over her behavior is because their children's story would sound too ridiculous to be believed (the movie scene where the Trunchbull forces the entire school to stay five hours after school for encouraging Bruce Bogtrotter to finish the chocolate cake serves as a plothole, since the parents would have surely wondered about the whereabouts of their children). Also, aside from Lavender's practical joke with the newt and Matilda's haunting, she apparently, in previous years, received punishment from an older girl, Hortensia, who put treacle on her seat in the school's assembly-hall, and itching powder in her gym-knickers. For both these practical jokes, Hortensia was locked in The Chokey.
Although exceedingly hard to please at the best of times, aside from bullying children, the Trunchbull does in fact have some interests. These include:
Aside from her niece Miss Honey, the Trunchbull is displeased by a great many things in her little world. These include:
The character of Miss Trunchbull may be based on several members of staff Dahl experienced from his own school-days- among them, most obviously, a preparatory school matron, as described in his autobiography Boy.
She is played by Pam Ferris in the 1996 film version of Matilda, and in a UK story-tape version of the same story, she was voiced by Peggy Mount.
"Squashing a bad girl is like trying to squash a bluebottle. You bang down on it and the darn thing isn't there."
(When trying to guess what's so special about Matilda) "I suppose she set fire to your skirt and scorched your knickers."
"I wish to heavens I was still allowed to use the birch and the belt as I did in the good old days. I'd have roasted Matilda's bottom for her so she couldn't sit down for a month!"
"What a bunch of nauseating little warts you are!"
(To a boy named Eric Ink:) "You may be Ink, young man, but let me tell you something: you're not indelible."
(To Amanda Thripp, prior to grabbing her by her pigtails and throwing her a la "throwing the hammer"): "I don't give a tinker's toot what your mummy thinks!"
"My idea of a perfect school is one that has no children in it at all. One of these days I'll start up a school like that. I think it will be very successful."
"I don't like small people. I can't for the life of me understand why they take so long to grow up. I think they do it on purpose."
"Oh do shut up, Miss Honey!"
"When you've been teaching for as long as I have you'll see that it's no use at all being kind to children."
(On Wackford Squeers and his pupils:) "He kept their backsides so warm you could have fried eggs and bacon on them."
"I suppose your mothers and fathers tell you you're wonderful. Well, I'm here to tell you the opposite, and you'd better believe me."
"I'm fed up with you useless bunch of midgets!"
"Matilda! Stand up!"
"You! Detention."
"Fresh meat!"
"Got you! Right in the neck!"
"Much too good for children!"
"I'm smart; you're dumb. I'm big; you're small. I'm right; you're wrong. And there's nothing you can do about it."
Can I produce some character articles?-- RoryReloaded ( talk) 08:21, 5 December 2007 (UTC)
Image:Matilda.bookcover.amazon.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.
BetacommandBot ( talk) 14:31, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
Well this is silly. It was seen fit to merge the substantial article on Miss Trunchbull with this one, and yet Matilda Wormood has a piddly little one of her own. Where's the reasoning there? Not050 ( talk) 18:57, 29 January 2008 (UTC)Not050
I was wondering if we could include the original plans for the book. I found it long ago, but I think the link is on roalddahl.com. I really don't remember, but I do remember that Roald rewrote the book so much the whole plotline changed. Pokemon Buffy Titan ( talk) 12:01, 8 March 2008 (UTC)
because this book/movie was great, but the article is not. The plot summary rambles in places, and there is just too much speculation and repetitiveness, like "Possibly the most dramatic form of eye-power attributed to any of Roald Dahl's characters is The Grand High Witch from The Witches - although they are of a far more dangerous nature and the character would most likely have more sympathy with Miss Trunchbull's attitude towards child justice." Not even Mr. Lister's Koromon survived intact. 01:43, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
Why is Hilaire Belloc's Matilda linked in the Further Reading section? This article is solely about Dahl's Matilda, and does not even mention Belloc's Matilda. Neither would make sense as being inspired by the other, either: the poem is about a girl who tells lies and then is disbelieved when she says her house is burning down (like Peter and the Wolf) and the novel is about an ordinary girl with superpowers who uses them for good. -- 82.46.18.225 ( talk) 14:58, 3 May 2009 (UTC)
The scene with the cake and Bruce Bogtrotter bears similarities with the scene of Á Keenzy and the acting headmaster, especially with regard to the public punishment before an assembly and the cheering at the end. Perhaps it is an acknowledgement by Dahl for the inspiration of a young bookish child struggling to thrive in a non-bookish environment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by AbrahamCat ( talk • contribs) 12:23, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
I've never read the book but this doll of Miss Honey's is mentioned in the film. Has anyone noticed the similarity between the words "Lissy Doll" and "Liccy Dahl", Roald Dahl's wife? Do you think that they named the doll that on purpose?
The Doll was deliberately named Lissy after Roald Dahls Wife Liccy. If you look at the credits at the end of the film, it shows the Produced by list Liccy Dahl is the 4th person to be credited as a Producer.
Please discuss the paragraph that was added and my removal of it here. Aside from the fact that's it in US English, the tense is wrong. I haven't corrected the grammar as I don't feel the inclusion affects the plot. NEDOCHAN ( talk) 18:59, 25 November 2021 (UTC)
This article is written in British English, which has its own spelling conventions (colour, travelled, centre, defence, artefact, analyse) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus. |
This
level-5 vital article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
What's with the etymology? Interesting, but I don't think it's at all relevant.
i don't know how to do it, but i think that this particular section should be merged into the roald dahl section about children books themes. [asd[User:B cubed|b_cubed]] 05:19, 6 August 2006 (UTC)
Part of the Trunchbull's fright when the message is written on the board is that it contains the line 'I'll kill you like you killed me' (approximately. Is this relevant? Should it be put in the synopsis? 169.229.121.94 22:06, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
There is nothing ironic about the fact that the book focuses more on the importance of books, so I took that word out.
I couldn't think of a reason to include a massive list of all possible changes in the article, so I trimmed and rewrote the section. The old one was quite impressive, so I'm preserving it here to delight information freaks, such as most of us. -- Kizor 02:38, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
I can't find where her surname is mentioned in the book. Has someone perhaps confused her with the Harry Potter character? 91.105.35.31 19:38, 23 May 2007 (UTC)
I toatally love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*************************************************************!!**
It looks like the Miss Trunchbull article was recently changed to redirect here, which deleted about 8k of text. If anyone is interested in adding bits of the former Miss Trunchbull to this article, I've copied the text below (with some modifications to the section headers). Please feel free to incorporate this text, or perhaps undo the change of the Miss Trunchbull article to a redirect. Lisatwo 02:13, 14 August 2007 (UTC)
Agatha Trunchbull, also known simply as "the Trunchbull", is the fictional headmistress of "Crunchem Hall Primary School" in Roald Dahl's book Matilda, said to look "more like an eccentric and rather bloodthirsty follower of the stag-hounds than the headmistress of a nice school for children." She is a harsh, cruel educator and tyrant, and this, together with Matilda's unfair treatment from her parents is perhaps why the book has remained popular among children, as something that the reader may be able to relate to.
The Trunchbull, as she is known, is "a fierce tyrannical monster who frightens the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". It is unclear how she ever came to be a teacher, as she has no interest in the health, welfare or education of children so much in relation to punishing them. She even expresses some disappointment when a child answers a question correctly. Her idea of detention is to keep badly-behaved children in a horrific torture device which is called "The Chokey" (which is essentially a closet that's filled with sharp blades) or swings them in the air, often without any evidence they have actually committed a crime or simply because she does not like them. She is an avid athlete and former Olympian, and is known for her skills in the hammer throw. It is also hinted that she has practiced karate or judo. Indeed, the only Health and Safety standards she seems to acknowledge as far as her students are concerned is that she must not hit them with the riding crop that she often carries around.
It is her custom at Crunchem Hall to cover for a class for one lesson in each week. After making one boy stand on one leg in the corner, holding up another by the hair and yet another by the ears, she finally meets her match in the form of two girls in the class: Lavender and the central character, Matilda. Lavender had placed a newt in the Trunchbull's jug of water and thereby startled her as she was pouring the contents into a glass. Eager to find someone to blame and furious at having lost face in front of the children, she accuses Matilda. Whilst simmering at the injustice of this, Matilda stares at the glass and, it seems, causes it to fall of its own accord and empty its contents- newt and all- over the Trunchbull, thus enraging (and mystifying) her into leaving the room.
The one member of staff at Crunchem Halls that seems to fear the Trunchbull above all is Miss Jennifer Honey. It transpires that the Trunchbull is her aunt, and had raised her on the death of her parents, putting her through psychological and possibly even physical torture. She also managed to get possession of Miss Honey's late father's house by forging a document of his will, knowing her niece could not contest it because she didn't have the money- she having been forced to sign away her salary into the Trunchbull's bank. On learning this, Matilda practices her new-found gift at moving objects just by looking hard at them privately, at home. When the Trunchbull comes, the following week, to take her cover lesson, Matilda causes some chalk to rise up in the air and write on the blackboard a message that she pretends is being caused by the ghost of Miss Honey's father, closing it with the ominous words: "I am watching you, Agatha."
Thus traumatized, the Trunchbull leaves the school and district forever. She also returns Miss Honey's wages and reveals her father's true will and testament, that the house she had been living in had in fact been left to Miss Honey all along. A newer, nicer teacher, the previous deputy, is pronounced headmaster (in the movie, Miss Honey becomes the principal of the school), and the school is consequently much happier. Matilda is later moved to the top form, where her academic potential is appreciated.
Some of the Trunchbull's more bizarre (though abusive) treatment of pupils include:
This leads Matilda to speculate that the reason parents never try to challenge the headmistress over her behavior is because their children's story would sound too ridiculous to be believed (the movie scene where the Trunchbull forces the entire school to stay five hours after school for encouraging Bruce Bogtrotter to finish the chocolate cake serves as a plothole, since the parents would have surely wondered about the whereabouts of their children). Also, aside from Lavender's practical joke with the newt and Matilda's haunting, she apparently, in previous years, received punishment from an older girl, Hortensia, who put treacle on her seat in the school's assembly-hall, and itching powder in her gym-knickers. For both these practical jokes, Hortensia was locked in The Chokey.
Although exceedingly hard to please at the best of times, aside from bullying children, the Trunchbull does in fact have some interests. These include:
Aside from her niece Miss Honey, the Trunchbull is displeased by a great many things in her little world. These include:
The character of Miss Trunchbull may be based on several members of staff Dahl experienced from his own school-days- among them, most obviously, a preparatory school matron, as described in his autobiography Boy.
She is played by Pam Ferris in the 1996 film version of Matilda, and in a UK story-tape version of the same story, she was voiced by Peggy Mount.
"Squashing a bad girl is like trying to squash a bluebottle. You bang down on it and the darn thing isn't there."
(When trying to guess what's so special about Matilda) "I suppose she set fire to your skirt and scorched your knickers."
"I wish to heavens I was still allowed to use the birch and the belt as I did in the good old days. I'd have roasted Matilda's bottom for her so she couldn't sit down for a month!"
"What a bunch of nauseating little warts you are!"
(To a boy named Eric Ink:) "You may be Ink, young man, but let me tell you something: you're not indelible."
(To Amanda Thripp, prior to grabbing her by her pigtails and throwing her a la "throwing the hammer"): "I don't give a tinker's toot what your mummy thinks!"
"My idea of a perfect school is one that has no children in it at all. One of these days I'll start up a school like that. I think it will be very successful."
"I don't like small people. I can't for the life of me understand why they take so long to grow up. I think they do it on purpose."
"Oh do shut up, Miss Honey!"
"When you've been teaching for as long as I have you'll see that it's no use at all being kind to children."
(On Wackford Squeers and his pupils:) "He kept their backsides so warm you could have fried eggs and bacon on them."
"I suppose your mothers and fathers tell you you're wonderful. Well, I'm here to tell you the opposite, and you'd better believe me."
"I'm fed up with you useless bunch of midgets!"
"Matilda! Stand up!"
"You! Detention."
"Fresh meat!"
"Got you! Right in the neck!"
"Much too good for children!"
"I'm smart; you're dumb. I'm big; you're small. I'm right; you're wrong. And there's nothing you can do about it."
Can I produce some character articles?-- RoryReloaded ( talk) 08:21, 5 December 2007 (UTC)
Image:Matilda.bookcover.amazon.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.
BetacommandBot ( talk) 14:31, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
Well this is silly. It was seen fit to merge the substantial article on Miss Trunchbull with this one, and yet Matilda Wormood has a piddly little one of her own. Where's the reasoning there? Not050 ( talk) 18:57, 29 January 2008 (UTC)Not050
I was wondering if we could include the original plans for the book. I found it long ago, but I think the link is on roalddahl.com. I really don't remember, but I do remember that Roald rewrote the book so much the whole plotline changed. Pokemon Buffy Titan ( talk) 12:01, 8 March 2008 (UTC)
because this book/movie was great, but the article is not. The plot summary rambles in places, and there is just too much speculation and repetitiveness, like "Possibly the most dramatic form of eye-power attributed to any of Roald Dahl's characters is The Grand High Witch from The Witches - although they are of a far more dangerous nature and the character would most likely have more sympathy with Miss Trunchbull's attitude towards child justice." Not even Mr. Lister's Koromon survived intact. 01:43, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
Why is Hilaire Belloc's Matilda linked in the Further Reading section? This article is solely about Dahl's Matilda, and does not even mention Belloc's Matilda. Neither would make sense as being inspired by the other, either: the poem is about a girl who tells lies and then is disbelieved when she says her house is burning down (like Peter and the Wolf) and the novel is about an ordinary girl with superpowers who uses them for good. -- 82.46.18.225 ( talk) 14:58, 3 May 2009 (UTC)
The scene with the cake and Bruce Bogtrotter bears similarities with the scene of Á Keenzy and the acting headmaster, especially with regard to the public punishment before an assembly and the cheering at the end. Perhaps it is an acknowledgement by Dahl for the inspiration of a young bookish child struggling to thrive in a non-bookish environment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by AbrahamCat ( talk • contribs) 12:23, 20 July 2010 (UTC)
I've never read the book but this doll of Miss Honey's is mentioned in the film. Has anyone noticed the similarity between the words "Lissy Doll" and "Liccy Dahl", Roald Dahl's wife? Do you think that they named the doll that on purpose?
The Doll was deliberately named Lissy after Roald Dahls Wife Liccy. If you look at the credits at the end of the film, it shows the Produced by list Liccy Dahl is the 4th person to be credited as a Producer.
Please discuss the paragraph that was added and my removal of it here. Aside from the fact that's it in US English, the tense is wrong. I haven't corrected the grammar as I don't feel the inclusion affects the plot. NEDOCHAN ( talk) 18:59, 25 November 2021 (UTC)