Bubbie, my dad’s mother, worked as a school librarian in London for almost 20 years before her retirement. Though Bubbie always presents her grandkids with packages when she comes to visit, the wrappings inevitably contain books. I give Bubbie a lot of credit for my appreciation of literature and for the eclectic nature of my collection.
My shelves are filled with classic British elementary school novels from my early reading years. These books taught me the nuances of British English language and served as a window into the culture of my father’s childhood. As such, I read through most of the works of Roald Dahl in 3rd and 4th grade (Mathilda, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, The Witches, and Danny, Champion of the World).
I recall that they were incredibly weird, freaky, funny and sometimes quite scary. But they made a real impression on me. So, though I am really drawn to Sylvia Plath, I am going to reserve analysis of her works for a college literature class. I want to find out why Roald Dahl became so popular and read his works as an adult, trying to understand the underlying social messages.
On Skype last week, Bubbie said to me,”Oh darling, why would you want to read such heavy stuff (i.e., Sylvia Plath) in your final year? You have so much stress already that you should be reading something fun and light.” I am going to take Bubbie’s advice, but not for that reason. I rarely get a chance to talk with my Bubbie about anything other than day-to-day stuff (college applications, friends, trips, etc.) and I welcome the opportunity to have some creative exchanges with my grandmother over a topic that we both enjoy.
With this in mind, I will be researching Social Commentary and Satire in Roald Dahl’s Children’s Literature.