Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

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Cover of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a children's novel written by British author Roald Dahl in 1964. The story follows the adventures of Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory by the famous chocolatier, Willy Wonka. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the Roald Dahl’s best-known story. Conservative estimates suggest the original book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide; it is now available in 55 languages.[1] The story was originally inspired by Roald Dahl's experience of chocolate companies during his schooldays. Cadbury would often send test packages to the schoolchildren in exchange for their opinions on the new products.[2] By the time, chocolate factories are very protective of their chocolate-making process which became one of the main ideas that inspired Dahl to write the story.

Plot

The film tells the story of a poor child named Charlie Bucket who visits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory after finding a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar out of luck along with four other children from around the world. In the factory, Charlie and his friends are aided by his workers, Oompa Loompa, a race of small people who help him operate the factory. During the tour, the four "bad" children give in to their individual vices and are ejected from the tour in darkly comical ways.[3] Charlie and his grandfather are the only guests who remain until the end of the factory tour. Therefore, Wonka congratulates him for "winning" the factory. It turns out that Wonka has a hidden motivation for the tour to whom he will only reveal after he learns every color of each child. In the end, Charlie is invited to live in Wonka's factory together with all his family members.

Controversy

Charlie Bucket

The original Oompa Loompas based on the novel

The widow and the biographer of the British children’s writer, Felcity Dahl, mentioned to BBC that Charlie Bucket, the main character of the book supposed to be a black kid.[4] In the interview with BBC, Felicity Dahl said that, ".. his first Charlie he wrote about was a little black boy. It was his agent who thought it was a bad idea when the book was first published to have a black hero. People would ask why." Unfortunately, the idea of having a black hero or main character was opposed by Dahl's agent. It was then the reason why Charlie Bucket became white as recently known. No further details were provided about the discarded storyline.[5]

Oompa Loompas

Oompa Loompas are workers who work in Willy Wonka's factory. Originally, they were meant to depict hard-working but mischievous Africans pygmies who were brought to the factory to make candy. The importation of African Oompa-Loompas into the factory had connotations of slavery. In later edition of the work, Dahl revised their portrayal, turning the Oompa Loompas into fancy dwarf-like creatures from a made-up country, Loompaland.[5]

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