International Chocolate Day and Roald Dahl Day September 13, 2022

International Chocolate Day and Roald Dahl Day

September 13, 2022

 

Waking up on a sunny day on September 13, 2022 in Southern New Mexico, I open my e-mails on my Smart Phone and learn today is special for both lovers of chocolate and children’s literature; International Chocolate Day and Roald Dahl Day. Both are connected. Roald Dahl remains my favorite author from my childhood. I remember reading two of Dahl’s books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. Chocolate was an important character in both novels. I can almost taste the chocolate.

Matilda’s classmate, Bruce Bogtrotter, is accused by the cruel (and arguably crazy) headmistress Miss Trunchbull for eating a slice of her personal chocolate cake. Bruce is forced to eat a huge piece of chocolate cake at a school assembly in front of the entire student body. Although Matilda has magical powers, Bruce’s power is will-power. Through the encouragement of Matilda and the other students, Bruce finishes the entire cake proving to the vindictive Miss Trunchbull that he is not weak. The chocolate cake transformed into Bruce’s weapon.

Willy Wonka, the owner of Wonka's Factory, is responsible for helping change Charlie Bucket’s (the protagonist of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ) life from a poor child to inheriting the factory. The Wonka Chocolate bars were a tool of opportunity for Charlie and four other children to be lucky enough to find a Golden Ticket to win a trip to visit Willy Wonka at his factory. The other children who win Golden Tickets are Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee. All four of them are misbehaved children who do not appreciate winning the visit. The factory punishes them for their greed, gluttony, arrogance, and impatience.

Augustus Gloop is the rude and defiant glutton who suffers for his overindulgence at the factory. While drinking from the chocolate river, he tumbles in and is extracted up by one of the powerful pipes. His body is transformed into a thin one after the Oompa Loompas rescue him from the pipe. I always hoped he learned his lesson and learned not to overindulge. The chocolate river turns out to be a punishment rather than a treat.

Charlie’s honesty leads to a positive encounter with the Candy Man. The coin Charlie finds in the snow leads Charlie to ask the Candy Man if it belongs to him. Charlie is rewarded with a Wonka Bar. The famished boy devours the bar and purchases another one which turns out to have the final Golden Ticket. Charlie’s honesty of admitting to breaking the rules and tasting the Fizzy Lifting Drink leads to Wonka revealing that the tour was “a test of character,” and Charlie was the sole successor (Dahl).

Dahl’s use of chocolate for a poor child to take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity and for a bullied child to use his will-power to defeat a cruel adult tells readers that food is an important part of cultures, honesty, and good karma.

When I return home, I plan on eating some chocolate and re-reading Dahl’s classics and watching the film adaptation.