Demon Dentist

“Oh, that tooth was a stubborn little blighter!”

Mr. Erstwhile, the “ancient” dentist that Alfie visited at age six, used a metaphor to underscore the difficulty of pulling Alfie’s tooth. “Blighter” is slang (usually British) for an unpleasant person. The line also contributes to the wry humor and irony of the tooth-pulling scene, as Alfie realized right after Mr. Erstwhile spoke that the dentist destroyed the wrong tooth. The dentist’s name is a comedic commentary on his age and abilities, as “erstwhile” means “archaic” and “obsolete.”

“The second thing you noticed about Miss Root was that she was impossibly tall. Her legs were so long and thin, it was like watching someone walk on stilts. […] As she passed, Alfie looked down and noticed a large splash of red on the toe of one of her shiny white high-heeled shoes.”

A simile comparing Miss Root to a stilt walker emphasizes the visual imagery in her physical description. It also contributes to Miss Root’s association with the fantastical, associating her with the way that circus or sideshow performers perform unrealistic feats. Additionally, the red stain on her shoe is juxtaposed against her otherwise immaculate white clothing, contributing to Alfie’s sense that something is suspicious about the new dentist.

“Hansel and Gretel? Yes, of course, everyone has, but that’s just a stupid fairy story.”

After Gabz references the story of the two children who encounter danger after being tempted by a witch, Alfie names the fairy tale and boldly dismisses it. This allusion neatly parallels Miss Root’s insistence that the children at the assembly consume her candy; it also provides an opportunity for Alfie to