The BFG

There are two protagonists in The BFG: Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant. Out of the two of them, who could be considered the underdog, and why? How is this character able to triumph against all odds? What does this say about the larger theme of The Victory of the Underdog?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to consider the theme of The Victory of the Underdog in the context of the novel. Both the BFG and Sophie are underdogs in their respective contexts; however, they are able to use The Power of Friendship

to work together and defeat the man-eating giants. This is a common theme in Dahl’s novels, as his main characters often experience obstacles that they are able to overcome through building friendships and working together as a team against powerful and loathsome antagonists. To help students make connections between texts, consider revisiting the Short Activity; students might discuss how the protagonists and antagonists of the story they researched relate to the equivalent characters in The BFG.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Your Dream Jar”

In this activity, students will write a dream that the BFG would keep in his jar.