The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.
Roald DahlRead
The adult is the enemy of the child because of the awful process of civilizing this thing that, when it is born, is an animal with no manners, no moral sense at all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the inherent conflict between the natural instincts of a child and the societal expectations imposed by adults.
Roald Dahl's quote reflects the complex relationship between adults and children, suggesting that the process of civilizing children can often feel antagonistic. Adults impose societal norms and manners on children, who are initially like wild animals, unrestrained by the moral codes and expectations of society. This transformation can be seen as a necessary yet harsh reality, revealing the tension between nature and nurture.
Themes
ChildhoodCivilizationAdultsGrowthMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a parenting workshop discussing the challenges of raising children with societal expectations.
More from Roald Dahl
All quotes →Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable.
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I asked my mum, who's a very clever psychotherapist, and she says that kids love stories about death; they need it, they need to have stories that deal with death and explain it, as a place to put their fears.
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By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.
Roald DahlRead
You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck. "Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.
Roald DahlRead
If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.
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