23 pages • 46 minutes read
The Magic Finger
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Themes
The Importance of Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to understand and share the feelings of another. It comes from the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes, to empathize with a situation or set of experiences that are outside one’s own. The Greggs do not have the capacity to empathize with the animals who live in the woods. The Magic Finger partially transforms them into animals, literally placing them in the position of the creatures they love to hunt. It is only after they experience the trials and tribulations of being animals that they come to realize the evil of their deeds.
Dahl gives the Gregg family a taste of their own medicine. After the transformed ducks enter the Gregg home, the family is distraught. They cry: “‘They have taken our house. What shall we do? We have no place to go!’” (30). The Greggs are furious and dismayed by the ducks and their audacity. This is an allegory for humans’ constant intrusion into nature and their subsequent destruction of it.
Throughout their transformation, the Greggs slowly learn about the plights of the ducks they hunt. In doing so, they are taught the importance of empathy. Animals must survive other predators, Philip realizes: “We will be eaten by cats and foxes in the night!” (30). Animals must endure the elements of nature. Without a house, the Greggs are forced to sleep in a nest as “[i]t rained and rained, and the water ran into nest and they all got as wet as could be—and oh, it was a bad, bad night!” (43). The lives of wild animals are entirely about survival; they are difficult enough without humans hunting them for sport. In living these experiences, the Greggs see animals for what they are: organic, feeling beings.
The importance of empathy is manifested most clearly when the ducks finally confront the Greggs. As the Greggs beg for their lives, the mother duck says: “You are always shooting at us” (46). The reversal of roles literalizes the meaning of empathy. To feel for another person and understand their position, one must try to see things from their point of view. Mrs. Gregg pleads for her sons’ lives, saying, “You wouldn’t shoot my children!” (46). The mother duck responds, “Yesterday you shot my children […] you shot all six of my children” (46). Mrs. Gregg’s selfishness reveals her lack of regard for the animals that her family hunts. Only when their positions are reversed does Mrs. Gregg and the rest of her family see the error of their ways. Had they been empathetic enough at the beginning, the Magic Finger might not have punished them at all.
Man vs. Nature
The antagonistic relationship between humanity and its environment appears frequently in literature. Authors use it as a moral, where readers learn the importance of caring for the earth. Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger portrays humanity’s contentious relationship with the environment in much the same way. Instead of finding joy and peace in the beautiful woods and lake, the Greggs enter nature for the sole purpose of destroying it. After killing over a dozen birds in a single afternoon, Mr. Gregg shouts: “This is the best yet!” (16). The joy that Mr. Gregg and his sons derive from hunting comes from the act of killing animals.
The Greggs feel a sense of entitlement to do as they please. They hypocritically feel furious when the ducks enter their home. Mr. Gregg shouts at them: “Stop! Go away! That’s my house!” (28). He does not consider how often he has trampled into the homes of animals. When the ducks confront the family, Mr. Gregg insists: “We are allowed to shoot ducks!” (46). When the ducks demand to know who or what has given them permission to take the lives of so many creatures, Mr. Gregg replies: “We allow each other” (46). Mr. Gregg is selfish and believes that humans own the earth, the environment, and the animals that live within it.
By insisting that humans “allow” each other to hunt animals, Mr. Gregg reveals his self-centered perspective. To Mr. Gregg, the lives of other beings are not only less important than his, but also forfeit for his enjoyment. This antagonistic attitude is learned. It is not inherent in children. Dahl depicts William’s joy when he finds himself able to fly. The older of the two sons says: “Oh, isn’t it lovely! I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to be a bird!” (27). The innocent joy of flight is sharply contrasted with Mr. Gregg’s happiness while hunting. Despite the years that William has spent hunting with his father, part of him wants to be a part of nature, rather than working against it.
The Depiction of Heteronormative Gender Roles
Written in 1966, The Magic Finger portrays heteronormative gender roles. They denote the belief that there are two opposite genders that are naturally associated with different traits and roles that match their sex. We see this in Dahl’s depiction of masculinity and violence. Only the male characters in the text possess or use guns. The narrator connects the violence of hunting with masculinity. She says: “I can’t stand hunting. I just can’t stand it. It doesn’t seem right to me that men and boys should kill animals just for the fun they get out of it” (8).
This is an example of toxic masculinity, where manliness is determined by aggression, physical strength, and threats of violence. Men are expected to uphold dangerous expectations. Women, conversely, are expected to be demure, gentle, and weak. Expressions of both gender roles appear in The Magic Finger. Mr. Gregg, his sons, and the male ducks are obsessed with guns and the threat of violence. They find joy in hunting, in being the predator. The narrator, the mother duck, and Mrs. Gregg are helpless victims. The narrator does not have any control over the Magic Finger; she is just as subject to its whims as the other characters.
We most clearly see heteronormative gender roles in the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Gregg. The female duck and Mrs. Gregg have no personality traits other than being mothers; they are entirely defined by their children. When the Greggs spy on the ducks in their home, Mrs. Gregg exclaims: “Just look at that beastly duck cooking at my stove! How dare she!” (36).
Mrs. Gregg’s cooking ability is one of her primary character traits. She is defined by weakness, while Mr. Gregg is praised for his physical strength. After the Greggs are first transformed, the family tries to fly. Mrs. Gregg is a damsel in distress, crying, “Help! Save me!” (26). Mr. Gregg responds, “Come on […] Don’t be afraid” (26). Stereotypes of what men and women are allowed to do in society are reproduced even in works of literature meant for younger audiences.
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