Conclusion

Through the analysis of the capitalist and consumerist elements in Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factor, this essay has attempted to show how children’s fantasy can be influenced by capitalism and consumerism ideologies prevalent in society. In Dahl’s portrayal of the dynamics between power and affluence, there is a certain degree of ambivalence. Dahl’s biography shows him as someone who has enjoyed fame and wealth by catering his works to the demands of publishers and readers; we can assume then, that Dahl is comfortable in accepting the variations of capitalism and consumerism in society. His complicit agreement with the benefits of private wealth can be seen in the narratives where material wealth is used to reward protagonists such as Miss Honey and Charlie.

Discussion of meanings in symbols of capitalism and consumerism eventually collapse to reveal an ambiguity in Dahls’ portrayal of these social thoughts. With Matilda, Dahl’s reinstallation of institutionalized authority seems to subvert the power and maturity he allows Matilda. While in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dahl suggests a utopia within a capitalist framework. In my opinion, Dahl subscribes to capitalist and consumerist values. However, at the same time, the insightfulness which characterizes authors allows him to see the problems of exploitation, inequality, individualism etc. that accompanies these social thoughts. The philanthropic acts of Dahl might provide insights to his approach in the reconciliation of the paradox. Money often translates to power in capitalist societies. Therefore donations are a way to reallocate wealth and hence endowing the disadvantaged with power. In acts of kindness, Miss Honey who ‘adopts’ Matilda and Willy Wonka who ‘adopts’ the Buckets, a balance is attained where the bourgeois fulfills an emotional need while helping the proletariats.

Even in this interpretation of the politics between the two classes, kindness could be like religion, interpreted as a way in which the proletariat rebellion could be contained. Perhaps at this point, the best conclusion that can be drawn is to recall that capitalism and consumerism are multifaceted and complex social phenomenon, and because of this complexity, symbols and metaphors will naturally become overdetermined and conclusions never satisfactory.