Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) is a children's book by British author Roald Dahl. This story of the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka is often considered one of the most beloved children's stories of the 20th century. It has been made into a movie twice.
Plot
Only five children were to be allowed into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Only those five would see all the mysterious machinery in the factory where the world's most wonderful sweets are made. Those five children are greedy Augustus Gloop, spoiled Veruca Salt, gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde, smart-alecky Mike Teavee and our hero Charlie Bucket. What happens when the children pass through the big factory doors and, one by one, disobey Mr Willy Wonka's orders?
"No, no, no, no, no! You mustn't do it." said Mr Willy Wonka. But they do...and what happens?
Characters
The main characters
- Willy Wonka: Wonka is the owner of the chocolate factory
- Charlie Bucket: Charlie is the main character in the story. He enters a competition run by Wonka.
- Grandpa Joe: Charlie's grandfather
The other children
- Augustus Gloop: Gloop is a greedy boy, who is the first child to be sent away. He was not careful when he was going around the factory. He fell into the Chocolate River.
- Veruca Salt: Salt is a girl who likes to get everything that she wants. She goes to the sorting room and is found to be a "bad egg". She is sent to the furnace.
- Violet Beauregarde: Beauregarde is a girl who is always chewing gum. She tries Wonka's everlasting gum. She grows bigger and bigger and ends up looking like a giant blueberry.
- Mike Teavee: Teavee is a boy who is likes to always watch television. He is shrunk by the Television Chocolate Machine.
Other characters
- Oompa-Loompas: Small people who work in the Factory. They are about 44 centimetres (17 in) high and they have strange hair cuts. They are paid in cacao beans. They come from Loompaland, which is a region of Loompa. Loompa is a small island in the Pacific Ocean. When the book was written, it said that they came from "the very deepest and darkest part of the African jungle where no white man had been before", but this was changed (see Problems section). They are the only people that Wonka trusts to work in the factory. When any of the children are taken away, the Oompa-Loompas sing a song about them.
- Mr. Slugworth: In the book, Slugworth is a chololate maker who is one of Wonka's rivals. In the 1971 movie, Slugworth is finally shown to be one of Wonka's workers who has been testing the children's loyalty.
- Prince Pondicherry: Wonka made a chocolate palace for the Prince. It melted in the sun.
Problems
- In early editions of the book, the Oompa-Loompas are described as African pygmies. This caused controversy and criticism. In later editions of the book, they have white skin and golden hair. (In the 1971 movie, they have orange skin).
