I suppose a tour of a mysterious factory would be semi-interesting but the big advertised prize was really the lifetime supply of chocolate. But Charlie didn’t even LIKE chocolate, he said as much to his teacher when explaining why he only opened 2 wonka bars. So it begs the question… why did Charlie want the golden ticket so badly?
shareHe fibbed about not liking chocolate. He would have been embarrassed to say he was poor.
shareBut when he finds the ticket he drops the chocolate like it’s nothing. Surely he didn’t care about the chocolate? Also if he was going to lie to his teacher why not just lie about the number of bars he opened?
shareBecause he was a poor liar. The way he stuffed that chocolate in his mouth in the candy store didn't look like he wasn't particularly bothered about chocolate either.
shareCharlie did scarf down that chocolate bar didn’t he? So he lied to his teacher, stole money (by not making an attempt to find the rightful owner of the silver coin) was gluttonous by inhaling that candy bar was wasteful by throwing away a perfectly good chocolate bar and then stole AGAIN by swiping the fizzy lifting drinks. I guess Charlie was the most rotten child of them all…. would have served him right had he been chopped to ribbons by the fan.
shareI've always believed he was led astray by his good for nothing Grandpa Joe. He only broke that cycle by handing back the gobstopper. It is to be hoped that the Oompah Loompahs offed Grandpa Joe before he could kill Charlie and the others to claim the factory for himself.
shareDo you believe that Grandpa Joe really had it in him to murder Charlie in cold blood? GJ could have just strangled Charlie with his birthday scarf and claimed the ticket as his own if that was his intention. I figured Grandpa Joe actually helped out the family more than Charlie’s mom. Think about it…… Charlies mom kept dashing Charlie’s dreams of winning a golden ticket and told him to be content with underwear soup whereas GJ was constantly encouraging Charlie to buy Wonka Bars which were ultimately the instrument of the family’s salvation.
shareDo you believe that Grandpa Joe really had it in him to murder Charlie in cold blood?
Yes.
GJ could have just strangled Charlie with his birthday scarf and claimed the ticket as his own if that was his intention.
It may not have been his intention until Charlie ended up with the factory.
I figured Grandpa Joe actually helped out the family more than Charlie’s mom.
Don't agree.
Think about it…… Charlies mom kept dashing Charlie’s dreams of winning a golden ticket and told him to be content with underwear soup whereas GJ was constantly encouraging Charlie to buy Wonka Bars which were ultimately the instrument of the family’s salvation.
Pure luck.
Pray tell how exactly was GJ going to murder Charlie? And why wouldn’t he do Charlie in before they got to the factory? Also if you had lived in that household would you have fueled Charlie’s dreams about finding a golden ticket to a better life or would you have told Charlie to just accept his lot and suck down some underwear soup?
shareNobody knew before the tour that the "favorite" would be inheriting the factory
ergo GJ's motive did not appear until then.
Interesting question.
Probably the entitlement of the aggrieved. They see something other people have and although they don't particularly want or need that thing, they still desire it, simply because 'more privileged' people have it. It's rather petty and pathetic, and I say this as a staunch leftist.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still one of my all-time favourite children's books (I get a kick out of the various spoiled and naughty children's extreme behaviour and bizarre punishments), but it still offers a rather individualist/conservative message. Winning the chocolate factory isn't necessary, and doesn't do a blind bit of good for any other poor people. What Charlie's family needed was for his parents to be in decent, well-remunerated work with benefits, and for his entire family to be put in proper housing, not for him to become an underage mogul with unlimited access to junk food of limited nutritious value.
You are a fool and miss the entire point of the story. That Charlie was poor but at the end wins the ultimate prize of being Wonka's heir.
But all that is lost on you because you are looking at a story set in the 1930s from a 2022 perspective. And also because of this all you can think about is lawsuits being filed from the parents of the no good stinking jerk spoiled children and you side with the no good stinking jerks of the story because you yourself choose to be a no good stinking jerk. You side with them over Charlie. Neither they or you have any sympathy from me.
Also I despise people like you and others who look at old stories from a modern perspective. You are all fools. Good day, sir!
Sorry to interrupt before you can reply with what you are obviously going to reply with, but what you said about the 2022 perspective (despite it being 2023) hit the nail on the head.
shareI guess you have to look at what message really underlines the story to understand the meaning of the ticket. For me, I've always thought it was a tale of maintaining morality in the face of both extreme poverty and the unfairness of the advantages of the wealthy elite. Knowing that, it makes sense then that Charlie would view winning the ticket as the universe's way of balancing that unfairness by offering him a key into the world of the elite without having him work for it or compromise his morals to win the prize of becoming one of these elite (by gaining the lifetime supply of chocolate), as we see the wealthier kids do when they agree to sell secrets to Slugworth despite being perfectly well off and not even needing the money.
That's what makes the gesture of returning the everlasting gobstopper at the end such a grand gesture - he's giving up what he views as "everything" to stay true to his own moral code.
I think he wanted a chance to leave his slum dump existence and get a chance to visit the factory. It's like living in the slums of Cambodia, but having a chance to win a prize to Paris or Italy just to visit.
I also think he wanted the chocolate, cause he didn't look like he had a lot of food since they were poor.
When they eat cabbage water for dinner every day and "a loaf of bread looks like a banquet" then a lifetime supply of chocolate seems attractive enough. Even if Charlie didn't like chocolate, the rest of the family would benefit. Look how proud he was to bring home that one loaf of bread.
He could also sell the chocolate and improve their lot in life. There are a lot of angles to look at here.
Also, you've misused the phrase "begs the question."
Even if Charlie didn't like chocolate, the rest of the family would benefit.
How would they benefit? They were old sacks of useless bones.. chocolate would not help them.
Look how proud he was to bring home that one loaf of bread.
You mean stole? How did Charlie earn enough legit money to buy a huge loaf of banquet bread AND have enough leftover for tobacco? Maybe he was selling drugs as a side hustle.
He could also sell the chocolate and improve their lot in life. There are a lot of angles to look at here.
It would be illegal for their family to resell Wonka Bars.
Meh. Mid effort.
shareIf you walked into the Bucket house, what do you think would happen? Grandpa Joe would be so desperate for food he’d jam a fork in your ass. Charlie Bucket was a depraved bastard like his father before him and his Grandpa Joe. Every last Bucket bastard deserved their miserable lot in life.
share