The Hero in Childrens Books - Questions

Matilda

1.What do you like most about the character?

Matilda is very independent character who is able to outwit the bad characters through intelligence and a little bit of supernatural powers. She is a bookworm and enjoys learning, as a child I really enjoyed reading about a character who was smart and wanted to go to school, as I enjoyed school.

2.How do they make you feel?

She makes it feel like through learning there are limitless possibilities available which is inspiring. As a child you can feel helpless, so it is good to read about a character who is able to do something about the bad characters 

3.How is colour, line, form and mark making used?

They are very child-like drawings, which bring Matilda down to a realistic and relatable level to the child. Colour is only used on the cover, inside is ink drawings.

4.Ways in which you identify with the character e.g. Rebel, leader, Outsider, Victim, Overcoming Evil?

I’m the only one in my family that actually reads book so I found this relatable, and being a bit of an outsider because I liked to go to school to learn. I would have liked to be more rebellious in the way Matilda gets her own back when people are mean to her, as a child  sometimes you know you’re in the right but adults are convinced otherwise.

5.What are the themes with which they are usually associated e.g. adventure, overcoming evil?

Matilda learnt to do everything herself so her independence is a continuing theme from learning to cook and read, when she is left at home, to walking to the library by herself when she runs out of books. She also believes in righting, wrong behaviour the only way she knows how, which is mischievous and comically witty.

6. What medium/media have been used?

Ink and dip pen drawing which he then adds watercolour for the colour images

7.About the narrative (what’s happening in your image)?

The front cover image of Matilda shows her standing on top of several books, emphasizing how small she is, also representing either she has read or will read all those books. The children in the background are celebrating; throwing books in the air is something other children may do but not Matilda. This makes the book inviting, you would want to know why the children are celebrating.

8.What are the relationships between the characters?

Matilda’s family are detached from their daughter, and find her weird. Trunchball, the Headmistress dislikes everybody especially children and evokes fear from all the other characters. Miss Honey is the lovable character that all the children love; Matilda and Miss Honey develop a caring relationship, which eventually results in an adopted mother-daughter relationship.

9.Does the illustrators interpretations of the character fit with the character described in the text?

Quentin draws Matilda very tiny and small in relation to objects around her to emphasize this, but she is able to rise above this in an adults world.