The BFG by Roald Dahl

Dahl has an interesting way of using fantasy. Instead of creating mythical worlds separate from any known reality, Dahl chooses to expound upon the world we are in. He demonstrates the fantastic possibilities, which gives Dahl’s work a surrealistic quality that can be both fascinating and disturbing. But more than the world Dahl creates is the language he uses. He is fond of nonsense words as in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory where he uses words like snozwanger, vermicious knids, gobstopper, etc. In The BFG, Dahl uses this same gimmick. It is interesting that in a book written for ages 7-10, where they are still working on their grammar and spelling skills, Dahl often misspells words, uses nonsense words, and twists phrases. This not only makes the book humorous for young readers but also allows them to fix and replace the phrases with correct ones in their head. One of the many teaching gimmicks that Dahl uses. Another gimmick is that in the guise of a fantasy Dahl can talk about many topics in a roundabout way such as prejudice, kindness, respect for life, and even politics.