Religious Theme's in Children's Literature
Children's literature has the ability to explore moral issues, which helps mold and influence children's view of the world (Hissan 84). Therefore, adding religious elements to stories functions as a way for Christian parents to spread their beliefs to their children. Ever since the puritans said that all people, including children, must learn to read so they can read the bible, religious elements have been placed in children's literature (Wood 1). In pop-culture, these spiritual themes may be subtextual, but they exist nonetheless (Suderman). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may be one of the most prominent examples of religious ideas in a children's novel, with allegories to the seven deadly sins, and Willy Wonka as a God figure.
Dahl's Relationship with Religion
Pop-culture subtexts of religious figures are common in modern-day media, especially when written by western scriptwriters or authors (Kozlovic). These writers would have grown up in a society where religious morals and ideas were visible. Whether consciously or subconsciously, these ideas can end up in the scripts or stories they write. This is undoubtedly the case for Roald Dahl, where religious themes are evident in his book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl grew up in catholic school, often getting into trouble and being punished by the clergy (Maloney 7). He therefore grew up to despise religion, describing it as a "sham" (Maloney 7). Regardless of his atheistic claims, the influence of Christianity reveals itself through Dahl's symbols and themes in his books, perhaps subconsciously.
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