31 pages • 1 hour read
Roald DahlA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Alfie is Mrs. Silver’s tortoise, who “had been with Mrs. Silver for years” (14). He is also, at least in Mr. Hoppy’s mind, Mr. Hoppy’s rival for Mrs. Silver’s affections. Alfie is a symbol of Mrs. Silver’s love. She dotes on him and wants him to grow so that he can feel better about himself. She tells Mr. Hoppy, “Think about how miserable it must make him feel to be so titchy! Everyone wants to grow up” (20). “Titchy” is British slang for “tiny,” which she finds a miserable prospect. Alfie’s size also echoes Dahl’s recurring jokes that size is always important. Alfie also represents Mr. Hoppy’s deception. He is replaced, not by Mr. Hoppy, but by other, heavier tortoises. He is eventually rehomed to Roberta, but Mr. Hoppy’s gain is Alfie’s loss.
Mr. Hoppy’s flowers are one of his two great loves. One of his loves is a public display, and the other is a secret. He doesn’t have to acknowledge his shyness around his flowers, and he displays them in spite of this trait: “They grew in pots and tubs and baskets, and in summer the little balcony became a riot of colour” (9).
By Roald Dahl
Beware of the Dog
Roald Dahl
Billy and the Minpins
Roald Dahl
Boy: Tales of Childhood
Roald Dahl
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Roald Dahl
Danny, the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
Fantastic Mr Fox
Roald Dahl
George's Marvelous Medicine
Roald Dahl
Going Solo
Roald Dahl
James And The Giant Peach
Roald Dahl
Lamb To The Slaughter
Roald Dahl
Matilda
Roald Dahl
Skin
Roald Dahl
The BFG
Roald Dahl
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Roald Dahl, Illustr. Quentin Blake
The Landlady
Roald Dahl
The Magic Finger
Roald Dahl, Illustr. Quentin Blake
The Twits
Roald Dahl
The Way Up To Heaven
Roald Dahl
The Witches
Roald Dahl