12 ways Roald Dahl terrified children
Roald Dahl — the British novelist, screenwriter, poet, fighter pilot, and sexy spy — would’ve celebrated his 98th birthday today. September 13 is actually Roald Dahl Day, set aside to recognize him for his contributions, the most memorable being his dark children’s books.
Brilliant in their formulaic nature, his children’s stories were typically told from a child’s point of view and almost always made the adults into villains. Dahl always featured at least one good adult to counter the villainous ones, and the protagonist child always defeated the evil adult.
This trope is in full effect in Matilda, when the titular brainy 6-year-old outsmarts the malevolent Miss Trunchbull and detaches herself from her selfish parents.
Although Dahl’s children’s stories inspired strength and independence in their readers, they also inspired some pretty terrifying characters and memory-scarring situations. In honor of the author’s 98th birthday we’re going through the scariest moments of Roald Dahl’s children’s books that no child should have to deal with in real life.
1) Being threatened into a boiler.
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
2) Choosing between being squeezed to death or exploding.
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
3) Getting kidnapped by a giant when you can’t fall asleep