Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Imagination and Adventure continues to be a pivotal theme as the group battles the Knids, tows the Commuter Capsule to safety, and crashes through the chocolate factory’s roof. Wonka alludes to this theme when he remarks that “a little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men” (90). Wonka intentionally lives a life of chaotic and imaginative adventure, believing that there is inherent wisdom in nonsense. His penchant for imagination is illustrated in his vast and wonderful chocolate factory and in his army of Oompa-Loompa helpers: “Everything was eatable in the great Chocolate Room—the trees, the leaves, the grass, the pebbles and even the rocks. And there to meet them were hundreds and hundreds of tiny Oompa-Loompas, all waving and cheering” (91).

Wonka’s imaginative and somewhat chaotic nature is further illustrated by the contents of his pockets; Wonka explains that “I keep all of my most valuable and important things in these pockets” (103). Humorously, though, these treasured possessions include “a homemade catapult, a Yo-Yo, a trick fried egg made of rubber, a slice of salami, a tooth with a filling in it, a stinkbomb, a packet of itching powder” (103). The fact that such ridiculous and seemingly useless things are Wonka’s most valuable possessions suggests that he has a unique and unconventional perspective, finding meaning in unlikely places.

The wondrous invention of Wonka-Vite further develops the theme of Imagination and Adventure. As in previous chapters, Wonka’s world is not limited by the usual laws of science. His anti-aging medication contains a variety of weird and wonderful ingredients, including “a wart from a wart hog” and a “horn of a cow (it must be a loud horn)” (104). The outlandish nature of the recipe’s ingredients are humorous, as are the numerous plays on words, which follow the format of cooking recipe ingredients but with ridiculous specifications: “the hip (and the po and the pot) of a hippopotamus” and “the square root of a South American abacus” (105).

Charlie and Grandpa Joe continue to serve as a foil to Grandma Josephine and Grandma Georgina. The former are characterized in these chapters as calm and unperturbed; they embrace Wonka’s world of chaos and adventure. This passage describes Charlie and Grandpa Joe’s reaction during their fight with the Knids:

Charlie and Mr. Wonka, as cool as two cantaloupes, were up near the ceiling working the booster-rocket controls, and Grandpa Joe, shouting war cries and throwing curses at the Knids, was down below turning the handle that unwound the steel rope (78).

Because they heed Wonka’s instructions and adapt to the situation, they ably manage the battle with the Knids and the rescue of the Commuter Capsule. Conversely, Grandma Josephine and Grandma Georgina are constantly in a panic, screaming criticisms at Wonka and fearing the worst. They lack the tolerance for chaos or the appetite for adventure that enables Charlie and Grandpa Joe to adapt to Wonka’s world; instead, they insist on their own perspective as the “correct” one. Their refusal to heed Wonka’s advice in this section foreshadows their disastrous mistake with the Wonka-Vite.

As in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dahl condemns selfishness and shows that Greed and Gluttony Will Be Punished. However, in Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, it is grandparents, not children, who serve as a cautionary tale against greed. When Wonka gives the three bedbound grandparents the bottle of Wonka-Vite, “six scrawny hands shot out and started scrabbling to get hold of it” (108). This description illustrates the selfishness of the grandparents, who are more concerned with hoarding the medicine for themselves than in fairly distributing it among their family. Wonka’s disappointment at this reaction is evident: “He hated it when people got grabby and selfish” (109).

Wonka carefully explains that each pill takes 20 years off a person’s life and says of the medicine: “When taken according to my instructions, they are as safe as sugar candy!” (107). This comparison is accurate, for in the case of both Wonka-Vite and sugar candy, moderation is key; a small amount of sugar candy will not have any negative effects, but too much will lead to poor health and cavities. Similarly, one pill would have significantly improved the grandparents’ health and energy, but too many will cause an undesirable regression. However, the greedy grandparents disregard Wonka’s warning and take four pills each, leading them to turn into babies or—in Grandma Georgina’s case—disappear. Wonka’s disappointment is once again evident: “A look of great anguish came over his face. ‘Why oh why can’t people be more sensible?’ he said sadly. ‘Why don’t they listen to me when I tell them something?’” (115). Here Wonka comments on the way selfishness prevents certain people from acting reasonably. Wonka’s world, which is full of desirous and incredible things, tests the disposition of each person by tempting them with the thing they want most. Only those who resist temptation, sharing with others and heeding’s Wonka’s advice, succeed in his world.