And though Dahl frames television as a terrible thing, just as he did in his earlier novels (such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), the way that Dahl frames television in Matilda speaks to how established television was in modern life by the late 1980s. Dahl makes references to the Star Wars franchise when he mentions stormtroopers, and he alludes to some of the concerns of the second-wave feminist movement of the 1970s when Matilda and Miss Honey acknowledge the freedom Miss Honey would gain if she had control of her own paycheck. While a children’s novel that focuses closely on the experience of its young protagonist, it’s nevertheless possible to see the influence of wider 1980s culture and media on Matilda. Dahl is often considered one of the most influential British authors of the late 20th century. His novels have sold millions of copies and remain immensely popular. In his lifetime, Dahl was a fierce advocate for immunization-his daughter died of measles in 1962-and posthumously, Felicity Dahl created Roald Dahl’s Marvelous Children’s Charity to support sick children. Dahl was married twice, first to actress Patricia Neal and then to Felicity Dahl. 1961’s James and the Giant Peach catapulted him to fame and became the first of his many successful children’s novels. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Dahl published a number of short stories for adults as well as The Gremlins, his first book for children. During his time in the U.S., Dahl published his first story, anecdotes about his time as a pilot. He flew again and served briefly as a flight instructor after his recovery, and then he became a diplomat in Washington, D.C. In 1940, Dahl was seriously injured in a crash landing that temporarily robbed him of his sight.

Following school, Dahl worked for Shell Oil until World War II, in which Dahl served as a fighter pilot. However, Dahl’s school days were unpleasant for him-he hated the hazing rituals and prevalence of corporal punishment. Rather than return to Norway to live near family, Dahl’s mother remained in Wales so her children could be educated in English schools. When he was still very young, Dahl’s sister and father died within weeks of each other. Dahl was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1916 to Norwegian immigrant parents.

Matilda by Roald Dahl