60 pages 2 hours read

Roald Dahl

The BFG

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1982

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Symbols & Motifs

The BFG’s Dream Collection

The BFG’s collection of thousands of jars of dreams signifies his altruistic nature. It also demonstrates his imaginative and open-minded approach to life. He is privy to and celebrates the secret and mysterious workings of the world, such as the nebulous dreams which are found in Dream Country. The BFG’s labels of the dreams include inventing a car that runs on toothpaste, and this alludes to the recurring theme, The Joy of Silliness and Imagination.

The BFG is motivated in this hobby because he loves to bring happiness to sleeping children. This characterizes him in complete opposition to the other nine giants in Giant Country and demonstrates the fact that he is a kind and compassionate character.

Whizzpopping

Whizzpopping, farting with so much force that a person lifts off the ground, functions symbolically on several levels. Whizzpopping represents the wonder of Giant Country—a place that most humans would not believe exists. Things that are seemingly impossible in the human world are made possible in Giant Country, where even the laws of physics can be reversed: Whizzpopping is achieved by drinking Frobscottle—a carbonated drink where the bubbles travel down instead of up. Whizzpopping highlights that the inhabitants of Giant Country also do not abide by the social norms and niceties of the human world.

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