Roald Dahl and Philosophy: A Little Nonsense Now and Then

by Jacob M. Held (Editor), Adam Barkman (Contribution by), Matthew Bokma (Contribution by), Elizabeth Butterfield Associate Professor of Philosophy, Georgia Southern University (Contribution by), Cam Cobb (Contribution by)

Overview

For generations the elements of humor, poignancy, fantasy, and unfettered morality found within acclaimed children’s author Roald Dahl’s most famous tales have captivated both children and adults. Classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and The BFG may initially appear to be yarns spun for the amusement of the adolescent mind, however, upon digging deeper one uncovers a treasure trove of philosophical richness that is anything but childish, but in fact reveals the true existential weight, and multi-layered meaning of some of our favorite children’s stories. Editor Jacob M. Held has collected the insights of today’s leading philosophers into the significances, messages, and greater truths at which Dahl’s rhythmic writing winks, revealing a whole new way to appreciate the creation of a man and mind to which readers of all ages are still drawn.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442222526
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/02/2014
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jacob M. Held is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Central Arkansas. He is the editor of Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! R&L 2011.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction: Roald Dahl and Absurdity: Children’s Literature and the Divorce between the Mind that Desires and the World that Disappoints
Jacob M. Held
1 Epicurus and the Chocolate Factory
Benjamin Rider
2 On Getting Our Just Desserts: Willy Wonka, Immanuel Kant, and the Summum Bonum
Jacob M. Held
3 Matilda, Existentialist Super-Hero
Elizabeth Butterfield
4 The Existential Journey of James Henry Trotter: Kierkegaard, Freedom, and Despair in James and the Giant Peach
Matthew Bokma and Adam Barkman
5 Of Mice and (Posthu)Man: Roald Dahl’s The Witches and Ethics Beyond Humanism
Taine Duncan
6 “Who is this Crazy Man?”: Willy Wonka’s Uneasy Predicament
Cam Cobb
7 “He will be altered quite a bit:” Discipline and Punishment in Willy Wonka’s Factory
Marc Napolitano
8 Matilda and the Philosophy of Education, or What’s an Education For?
John V. Karavitis
9 Shattering the Glass Elevator: Authenticity and Social Order in the Works of Roald Dahl
Joseph J. Foy and Timothy M. Dale
10 The Fantastically Just Mr. Fox: Property and Distributive Justice According to Foxes and other Diggers
Jacob M. Held
11 Willy Wonka and the Imperial Chocolate Factory
Ron Novy
12 George’s Marvelous Medicine, or: What Should We Do About Global Hunger?
Janelle Pötzsch
13 Crodswoggle, Flushbunking, and All Things Friendship in the BFG
Chad Kleist
14 Charlie and the Nightmare Factory: The Art of Children’s Horror Fiction
Greg Littman
15 Brimful of Buzzburgers: A Human Bean’s Wild Possibilities
Miranda Nell
16 Dewey, Negative Capability, and the Wonder of Roald Dahl
Tanya Jeffcoat
Twits, Witches, and Dirty Beasts: Author Bios

Editorial Reviews

05/12/2014
This collection of essays on the philosophical influences of author Roald Dahl's enduring children's books carries the benefits and drawbacks of such a multi-author effort. In his introduction, editor Held (Dr. Seuss and Philosophy: Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!) sufficiently lays out the central theme of these assorted and sometimes contrasting essays—that Dahl's characters rebel against the chaos of a world that does not provide for their needs. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the focus of the majority of selections. The philosophical arguments focusing on the character of Charlie Bucket and his family are more obvious and lackluster compared to the sections that examine the secondary characters, such as Augustus Gloop and Mike Teavee, through more specialized lenses. Elizabeth Butterfield's essay "Matilda, Existentialist Superhero" aptly connects Matilda to the philosophies of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Likewise, editor Held's offers plenty of food for thought in his article, which convincingly applies John Locke's views on personal property to Fantastic Mr. Fox. Though many of Dahl's stories are addressed repeatedly, the general impression is far from redundant, but one of an invigorating roundtable discussion. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Willy Wonka and Kant; Matilda and Camus; James Henry Trotter and Kierkegaard? Odd as these pairings may seem, Roald Dahl and Philosophy shows us that Dahl's fictional characters have a lot in common with these famous philosophers. Readers of this book will be both startled and excited to learn that kids' books have an unimagined philosophical and existential depth. Pick up a copy and see!

Thomas Wartenberg Thomas Wartenberg

This book is a masterful look at Roald Dahl's enduring stories, and engages with the wisdom of the ages about dealing with great difficulty, making the best of where we are, and creating our own inner character as we stare into the abyss of challenge and uncertainty in the world. It will be sure to delight any fan of these popular and fantastical tales.

Tom Morris

There are those who contend that the stories that entertained us in our childhood are not appropriate objects of philosophical analysis. Roald Dahl and Philosophy challenges this view by offering a wide array of insightful and eminently philosophical essays on classics in the Dahl canon. Addressing well-known works such as James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well lesser known ones such as The Witches, Jacob Held and his contributors draw compelling connections between Dahl’s works and works by canonical figures in philosophy including Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, John Locke, Soren Kierkegaard, Albert Camus, Michel Foucault, and John Rawls. Examining, among others, how Dahl’s work relates to conversations regarding humanism, horror, distributive justice, gender norms, and existential authenticity, Held and his colleagues literally open a new avenue of access to Dahl’s work, augmenting the delight these works brought us in our childhood, and enhancing our appreciation of this beloved author and his work.

Jennifer L. McMahon

Willy Wonka and Kant; Matilda and Camus; James Henry Trotter and Kierkegaard? Odd as these pairings may seem, Roald Dahl and Philosophy shows us that Dahl's fictional characters have a lot in common with these famous philosophers. Readers of this book will be both startled and excited to learn that kids' books have an unimagined philosophical and existential depth. Pick up a copy and see!

Thomas Wartenberg