Genre
Memoir; Children's Literature
Setting and Context
The book is set in the 1920s and 1930s at Llandaff Cathedral School, Wales; St. Peter’s School, Somerset; Repton School, Derby; and in Norway.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is Roald Dahl; the point of view is from Dahl in the present day as he looks back on his childhood.
Tone and Mood
The tone is conversational; the mood is lighthearted, nostalgic, and at times resentful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Dahl is the protagonist; the antagonists include Mrs. Pratchett, the Headmasters of his schools, and the older boys who are put in charge of him while at Repton.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the story is that Dahl is inclined toward playfulness and troublemaking but must go through a school system in which sadistic school officials and older boys are hellbent on disciplining any violation of decorum.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Dahl is old enough to leave school forever and is free to live without the threat of discipline hanging over his head.
Foreshadowing
Understatement
Allusions
In the chapter "Chocolates," Dahl refers to his most famous book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
