ROALD DAHL
Biography
Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916 in Llandaff, Wales. He was the only son out of his siblings. His mother, Sofie, had to raise her four children by herself when her husband, Harald, died. Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” was a tribute to his mother. From the age of nine to eleven, Dahl attended Llandaff Cathedral School. His frequent trips after school to the chocolate shops helped build the foundation for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” At the age of twenty-three, Dahl joined the Royal Air Force. In 1942, Dahl was transferred to Washington where he met author C.S. Forester. Forester suggested that Dahl write down his accounts of the war for “Saturday Evening Post.” This was the start of Dahl’s writing career. Dahl’s first children’s book was “The Gremlins,” published in 1943. Dahl started to write short stories for adults, until the 1960’s, when Dahl became a father himself. Dahl had five children in total; all with is first wife Patricia Neal. Later, he divorced Neal and married Felicity Crosland. Roald Dahl died on November 23, 1990 due to myelodysplastic syndrome (in which blood-forming cells in bone marrow are damaged).
Writing Career
As a child, Roald Dahl always loved stories and books. Dahl especially loved stories his mother used to tell him about monsters, trolls, and other Norwegian myths. Dahl’s father was also involved in writing by keeping a diary. Dahl also kept a secret diary from the age of eight. His parents and their hobbies had a great influence of Dahl’s writing. When Dahl was thirteen, his English teacher had thought of him as incapable of expressing his thoughts on paper. Other unpleasant experiences in his school also influenced much of his writing. Roald Dahl published his first piece of writing in 1942 in “The Saturday Evening Post.” The editor, author C.S. Forester, told Dahl that he was a great writer and that he (Forester) did not even have to change a word. In 1943, Dahl published his first children’s book, “The Gremlins.” Although Dahl himself was not very fond of his story, President Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor, loved it and read it to her children often. Following “The Gremlins” was “James and the Giant Peach” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Roald Dahl soon focused on short stories with cruel twists, directed towards adults.
Collection of Writing
Roald Dahl has a diverse collection of writing. Some children books he wrote, in chronological order, are as follows: “The Gremlins,” published in 1943. “James and the Giant Peach” was published in 1961. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” published in 1964. “The Magic Finger,” published in 1966.“Fantastic Mr. Fox” was published in 1970. “Danny, the Champion of the World,” published in 1975. Lastly, “The Witches” was published in 1983. A few short stories written by Roald Dahl in chronological order include “Someone Like You” (1953), “The Landlady” (1959), “Tales of the Unexpected” (1979), and “Two Fables” (1986).
Favorite Themes
Roald Dahl has been known to write a variety of stories. Many of his stories have themes that are influenced from his life. Death is a common symbol in his stories. Dahl lost many people close to him throughout his life. That is why one common theme in his stories is that everything has an end everything may not always be what is expected. For Dahl’s children’s books, a recurring theme is that it is not uncommon to receive unfair treatment from dominant adults. As a kid, Dahl’s teachers were not very kind to him. This is probably had a significant influence on Dahl’s stories.
Sources
http://www.childrensclassics.com.au/images/roald-dahl.jpg
http://www.childrensclassics.com.au/images/roald-dahl2.jpg
http://www.roalddahlfans.com/books.php
http://www.quora.com/Childrens-and-Young-Adult-Books/What-are-the-common-themes-in-Roald-Dahl-books
http://www.scholastic.com/content/media/products/63/9780142410363_xlg.jpg
