The family are also unable to provide sufficient healthcare for their
grandparents. On the other hand, the family can barely afford to provide
care to the four elders themselves. Thus, any quality of life for the
grandparents is lost. They are forced to spend every hour of every day
crammed in bed.
Charlie's four grandparents sharing their bed in the 1971 film adaptation, Willy Wonk-a and the Chocolate Fhctory.
Comparing the lavish lifestyle of Wonka and the impoverished living
conditions of the Buckets creates an uncomfortable juxtaposition. These
two lives, unfolding within the same neighbourhood, demonstrate how
dramatic the pay divide is. Despite the wealth of Wonka, and other factory
owners, their workers receive relatively little pay. In the case of the Buckets,
this pay is life-threateningly scant. The hardest workers, like Mr. Bucket, are
those that lose out most in this capitalist world run by people like Wonka.
Minimal pay is not the only problem here, though. Within this short book,
readers witness two accounts of job precariousness. Due to the previously
mentioned corporate spies, Wonka fires his entire crew. Similarly, Mr.
Bucket's factory is forced to close and he is unable to find another job.
Without care, potentially hundreds of people are forced into economic
uncertainty by the actions of the wealthy. In this fictional universe, the
richest people care very little for those who are keeping them in their
positions of wealth.
This is contextually relevant within Britain in the 1960s. Despite the
growing belief that inequality was decreasing, by 1960, 18% of UK
households were in poverty. 2 Close to half of those in poverty relied solely
upon earnings for day-to-day expenses. Large family sizes were determined
to be a significant cause for this situation. 3 The portrayal of Charlie's family
aligns with these statistics. Thus, poverty within Dahl's story-world befits
both a fictional dystopia and the real world.
Who is the target audience:
What is the purpose of the text:
The target audience for this text is not specified, but it could be assumed to be individuals interested in literature analysis or social inequality issues.
The purpose of the text is to analyze and discuss the theme of social inequality and poverty as depicted in Roald Dahl's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It also aims to provide contextual information about the time period in which the story is set and relate it to real-world social issues.
When you close your eyes and imagine what you've just read, you see
When closing your eyes and imagining what you've just read, you may visualize scenes from the 1971 film adaptation of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" where Charlie's four grandparents are crammed together in bed. You may also imagine the stark contrast between the lavish lifestyle of Willy Wonka and the impoverished living conditions of the Bucket family. Additionally, you may visualize the inequality and economic uncertainty faced by workers like Mr. Bucket and the overall depiction of poverty in both the fictional world and the real world.
The target audience of the text is not explicitly stated. However, based on the content and language used, it appears to be aimed at adults or individuals interested in analyzing and discussing social and economic issues portrayed in literature.
The purpose of the text is to analyze and highlight the social and economic disparities depicted in Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It explores the contrast between the lavish lifestyle of the character Willy Wonka and the impoverished living conditions of the Bucket family, as well as the wider issue of wealth inequality and precarious employment in society. The text aims to draw attention to the depiction of poverty in the story and its relevance to real-world socioeconomic issues.