When one thinks of a character depicting God, they might think of a bearded old white man, but those days are gone (Suderman). God characters are showing up hidden as subtexts in many western movies, books, and television shows. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great example of God being portrayed through a character, in this case, Willy Wonka. Many of his characteristics and mannerisms match up with the God of the Judeo-Christian religions.
God Figures
The song from the 1971 film of Charlie and the chocolate factory portrays how Wonka is a God figure by describing him as the “creator”, and his creation as “paradise”. This is similar to how God is described in the bible.
Mystery and Creation
Willy Wonka is perceived as mysterious, described by Grandpa Joe as a "magician with chocolate" (Dahl 29). His recipes are top secret, and people often wonder how he makes such fantastic candy. This closely resembles how the Judeo-Christian religions see God as mysterious, with secrets beyond their comprehension. Job 11:7 asks; "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?". The answer later is revealed as no, as God keeps his secrets. Wonka's creations are also made with human happiness and wellbeing in mind (Kachur 223). He makes toffee for hair loss, a 3-course meal chewing gum, and an everlasting gobstopper for children who don't have much money (SparkNotes Editors). These mysterious creations resemble how God's mysteries are done for the greater good of humans.
Oompa Loompa Angels
Angels in the bible are used for many reasons, but mostly as messengers. They travel to earth from heaven to guide humans and carry out tasks on behalf of God (Thacker 126). The angels of the bible closely resemble the Oompa Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Oompa Loompas, rescued by Willy Wonka, work in the factory and do whatever Wonka tells them to do (SparkNotes Editors). The relationship between Wonka and the Oompa Loompas is paternalistic, and they often give him praise and believe in everything he says (Thacker 127). The Oompa Loompas also act as messengers by singing songs after each child's punishment about what went wrong with their behavior. The composer of the movie said that he tried to depict a moral lesson in each song, because ultimately that is what Dahl was trying to convey with his book (Adams 36). The Oompa Loompa's, therefore, act as a guide, telling people how to live by Wonka's way.
The clip of the fall of Augustus from the 1971 film depicts how the oompa loompas convey messages from Willy Wonka through their songs.
The Garden of Eden
Perhaps the most evident religious element of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the allegory to the Garden of Eden. Willy Wonka, again, acts as the God figure in the story. The first room that the children and their parents enter is called the “mixing room,” and is described in Edenic terms (Thacker 150). Charlie describes it as the best place in the world, similar to the bible describing the garden of Eden as “earthly paradise” (Gen 2.20). The ticket winners are free to roam Wonka’s edible garden and eat whatever they please, except for the chocolate river. This resembles how God forbid Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of a particular tree, which Eve eats from anyways (Stone 148). Like Eve, Augustus Gloop indulges in the river, despite Wonka’s disapproval (SparkNotes Editors). This break of trust in both stories results in punishments and the beginning of chaos (Hammons). Augustus gets sucked up a pipe, and Eve was to endure great pain during childbirth. After the fall of Augustus, the golden ticket holders and Wonka embark on a crazy boat ride. This is comparable to how when Eve took the apple, chaos broke loose and the world became full of sin. In both stories, the sin means the people will leave a world of innocence and peace (Stone 150).
Punishments and Rewards
The God of the Hebrew bible is known for his harsh punishments for the sins of his people. This is seen in the flood and many plagues he sent to earth to punish those disobeying him (Wood 3). Though no child was harmed severely in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, their punishments represent what happens when you sin and stray away from God (Thacker 126). Their egocentric sins lead each child to be excluded from qualifying for the end reward and suffer a punishment which, in some cases, will alter them for life. In the book of Leviticus, it says, “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible" (5.17). Therefore, the punishments given by Wonka puts him in the position of God, placing judgments on others. The good child, Charlie, is deemed proper by Wonka and therefore receives an award. Charlie follows Wonka’s instructions without question, listens to his elders, and exhibits good moral behavior (Valle 90). Once Wonka sees him as good, he rewards him with his factory, which he calls “paradise” (Hammons). This is an allegory to how when you are moral in the eyes of God, you can have access to his paradise, heaven. Therefore, Wonka’s judgments, punishments, and rewards place him in a position similar to God.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is illustrated at the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when he gives each child their lifetime supply of chocolate. Although the children caused great havoc, Wonka still fulfills his promise of giving each child a lifetime supply of chocolate (Maloney 27). The children could be said to not be worthy of that chocolate because of their great sinning, but Wonka still believes them worthy. This lines up with the Christian belief that God can still give penitent sinners access to heaven (Maloney 28).
