41 pages 1 hour read

Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1972

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Important Quotes

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“Grandpa Joe was singing. Charlie was jumping up and down. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket were smiling for the first time in years.”


(Chapter 1, Page 3)

The excitement of the Buckets comes across in their behaviors: singing, jumping, and smiling. The Buckets, who will now be living in the vast and incredible factory, come from a background of poverty. Dahl references the events of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in this exposition.

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“‘Oh, my dears!’ cried Grandma Georgina. ‘We’ll be lixivated, every one of us!’ ‘More than likely,’ said Mr. Wonka.”


(Chapter 1, Page 6)

Wonka, as a rule, incorporates dangerous and ridiculous approaches in his daily life, believing that silliness is a vital way of living. He embodies the novel’s key theme, Imagination and Adventure, and is humorously nonchalant about possible death. On the other hand, Grandma Georgina conforms to the stereotype of a fretful old woman, constantly screaming in fear and fright.

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“It’s…it’s all made of glass and it’s kind of square and it’s got lots of people inside it! They’re all floating about like fish in a tank!”


(Chapter 2, Page 15)

Dahl utilizes Shuckworth’s perspective to conjure the humorous image of the Buckets, the bed, and Wonka floating around in the glass elevator. The simile “floating like fish in a tank” paints a vivid picture of this unexpected and hilarious sight.