Billy and the Minpins

In this final section, Billy and Swan outsmart the Gruncher, who plunges into the lake and dies. The action in Chapters 8 and 9 is very similar to what happens in Lewis Carroll’s 1871 poem “Jabberwocky.” In it, the speaker praises a young boy for slaying a beast, proclaiming:

‘And has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’

He chortled in his joy (Lines 21-24).

In both Carroll’s poem and Dahl’s story, a young boy succeeds at Overcoming the Limitations of Fear and braves the wrath of a monster so deadly that even adults are afraid of it. Within the context of Billy and the Minpins, this triumph proves to be a major turning point for Billy because he has finally found a place where his creativity and curiosity are rewarded rather than suppressed. As the Minpins celebrate Billy’s heroism and praise him for his clever idea and his bravery, the celebration provides a stark contrast to the condescending treatment he receives at home, where his mother is always scolding him but never really pays attention to him. His mother’s rules and boundaries have resulted in Billy’s anxiety about the unknown, but once he has a chance to experience the forest for himself, his anxiety gives way to courage and confidence. The contrast between his role with the Minpins and his role at home is clear when he comes back home and his mother initially fails to realize that he has left the house and had unusual adventures.

In this section, Dahl once again employs his signature nonsense words when he lists the berries that the Minpins can now enjoy as they roam around on the forest floor without fear of the Gruncher. He says there are “winkleberries and puckleberries and muckleberries and twinkleberries and snozzberries” (76), which reinforces the many indications that this forest is part of another world entirely.

Significantly, now that Billy has demonstrated The Leadership Qualities of Children and proved himself to the Minpins, he earns the right to visit this fantastical world as often as he likes. Therefore, rather than winding down to the expected, mundane denouement detailing the hero’s inevitable return to the “real world,” the novel includes several episodes describing Billy’s adventures far from the confines of his home. As Swan comes to Billy’s window every night to give him a ride, these quiet nighttime rides around the world emphasize the idea that birds symbolize freedom for Billy. The narrator also explicitly reminds his readers that Billy’s curiosity, open-mindedness, and adventurous spirit are positive traits. By Facing the Unknown and looking for its beauty, the protagonist is rewarded for believing in magic and enjoys the privilege of experiencing things that no other human ever has. As the narrator admits that he and Billy have kept the secret of the Minpins and reminds readers that “[t]hose who do not believe in magic will never find it” (98), these final words bestow a distinct moral on the story and emphasize the importance of fostering curiosity and imagination.