Miss Trunchbull
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Agatha Trunchbull, also known simply as "the Trunchbull", is the fictional headmistress of "Crunchem Hall Primary School" in Roald Dahl's book Matilda, said to look "more like an eccentric and rather bloodthirsty follower of the stag-hounds than the headmistress of a nice school for children." She is a harsh, cruel educator, and this, together with Matilda's unfair treatment from her parents is perhaps why the book has remained popular among children, as something that the reader may be able to relate to.
The Trunchbull, as she is known, is "a fierce tyrannical monster who frightens the life out of the pupils and teachers alike". It is unclear how she ever came to be a teacher, as she has no interest in the health, welfare or education of children so much in relation to punishing them. She even expresses some disappointment when a child answers a question correctly. Her idea of detention is to keep badly-behaved children in a horrific torture device which is called "The Chokey" or swings them in the air, often without any evidence they have actually committed a crime or simply because she does not like them. She is an avid athlete and former Olympian, and is known for her skills in the hammer throw. It is also hinted that she has practiced karate or judo. Indeed, the only Health and Safety standards she seems to acknowledge as far as her students are concerned is that she must not hit them with the riding crop that she often carries around.
It is her custom at Crunchem Hall to cover for a class for one lesson in each week. After making one boy stand on one leg in the corner, holding up another by the hair and yet another by the ears, she finally meets her match in the form of two girls in the class: Lavender and the central character, Matilda. Lavender had placed a newt in the Trunchbull's jug of water and thereby startled her as she was pouring the contents into a glass. Eager to find someone to blame, she accuses Matilda. Whilst simmering at the injustice of this, Matilda stares at the glass and, it seems, causes it to fall of its own accord and empty its contents- newt and all- over the Trunchbull, thus enraging (and mystifying) her into leaving the room.
The one member of staff at Crunchem Halls that seems to fear the Trunchbull above all is Miss Jennifer Honey. It transpires that the Trunchbull is her aunt, and had raised her on the death of her parents, putting her through psychological and possibly even physical torture. She also managed to get possession of Miss Honey's late father's house by forging a document of his will, knowing her niece could not contest it because she didn't have the money- she having been forced to sign away her salary into the Trunchbull's bank. On learning this, Matilda practices her new-found gift at moving objects just by looking hard at them privately, at home. When the Trunchbull comes, the following week, to take her cover lesson, Matilda causes some chalk to rise up in the air and write on the blackboard a message that she pretends is being caused by the ghost of Miss Honey's father, closing it with the ominous words: "I am watching you, Agatha."
Thus traumatized, the Trunchbull leaves the school and district forever. She also returns Miss Honey's wages and reveals her father's true will and testament, that the house she had been living in had in fact been left to Miss Honey all along. A newer, nicer teacher, the previous deputy, is pronounced headmaster, and the school is consequently much happier. Matilda is later moved to the top form, where her academic potential is appreciated.
Some of the Trunchbull's more bizarre (though abusive) treatment of pupils include:
- Throwing a girl across the playground for wearing pigtails.
- Throwing a boy out of a window for eating sweets during a lesson.
- Forcing a boy to eat a whole 18 inch chocolate cake because he stole a slice of cake from the cafeteria. (This may not count as abuse, however, because he apparently enjoyed it.)
This leads Matilda to speculate that the reason parents never try to challenge the headmistress over her behavior is because their children's' story would sound too ridiculous to be believed. Also, aside from Lavender's practical joke with the newt and Matilda's haunting, she apparently, in previous years, received punishment from an older girl, Hortensia, who put treacle on her seat in the school's assembly-hall, and itching powder in her gym-knickers.
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[edit] Likes
Although exceedingly hard to please at the best of times, aside from bullying children, the Trunchbull does in fact have some interests. These include:
- Matilda's father (until she realizes the second-hand car he sold her is in fact run with sawdust).
- The "admirable" headmaster Wackford Squeers in Charles Dickens' book Nicholas Nickleby, because of his own mistreatment of children.
- Keeping her muscles in shape.
[edit] Dislikes
Aside from her niece Miss Honey, the Trunchbull is displeased by a great many things in her little world. These include:
- Clever people.
- Stupid people.
- Small children.
- The children's' parents.
- Girls with pigtails.
- Boys with long hair.
- The spelling-poem "Mrs. D, Mrs. I, Mrs. FFI,/ Mrs. C, Mrs. U, Mrs LTY", primarily on the grounds that all the women are married.
- People who challenge her immense toughness.
- After her ordeal with Lavender's interference with her jug of water, newts.
[edit] Trivia
The character of Miss Trunchbull may be based on several members of staff Dahl experienced from his own school-days- among them, most obviously, a preparatory school matron, as described in his autobiography Boy.
She is played by Pam Ferris in the 1996 film version of Matilda, and in a UK story-tape version of the same story, she was voiced by Peggy Mount.
[edit] Quotes
"Squashing a bad girl is like trying to squash a bluebottle. You bang down on it and the darn thing isn't there."
(When trying to guess what's so special about Matilda) "I suppose she set fire to your skirt and scorched your knickers."
"I wish to heavens I was still allowed to use the birch and the belt as I did in the good old days. I'd have roasted Matilda's bottom for her so she couldn't sit down for a month!"
"What a bunch of nauseating little warts you are!"
(To a boy named Eric Ink:) "You may be Ink, young man, but let me tell you something: you're not indelible."
"My idea of a perfect school is one that has no children in it at all. One of these days I'll start up a school like that. I think it will be very successful."
"I don't like small people. I can't for the life of me understand why they take so long to grow up. I think they do it on purpose."
"Oh do shut up, Miss Honey!"
"When you've been teaching for as long as I have you'll see that it's no use at all being kind to children."
(On Wackford Squeers and his pupils:) "He kept their backsides so warm you could have fried eggs and bacon on them."
"I'm fed up with you useless bunch of midgets!"
"Matilda! Stand up!"
