Boy: Tales of Childhood

In what contradictory ways does Dahl characterize the Llandaff sweetshop?

Describe Dahl’s use of literary devices such as imagery and metaphor to render Mrs. Pratchett a terrifying antagonist.

Why does the boy “in his long trousers with bicycle clips around them and his scarlet school cap at a jaunty angle” so appeal to the young Dahl? (24) Does becoming an older boy/teenager match the illusions he had about it as a child?

Describe the caning incident in Chapter 6, “Mrs. Pratchett’s Revenge.” Do you believe that Dahl’s combined use of humor and distressing detail is effective? Does the use of humor intensify the emotional impact of the scene?

Describe the anecdotes and imagery used to characterize three menacing and abusive adults from Dahl’s past.

Contrast Dahl’s summer holidays, spent among idyllic Norwegian islands, with his time at boarding school.

Describe Dahl’s relationship with his mother, Sofie. How does she advocate for and protect him?

How does Dahl present medical and safety standards in his childhood? How have concepts such as medical ethics and patients’ rights changed these practices?