The Magic Finger

“I PUT THE MAGIC FINGER ON THEM ALL!”

The all-caps draws readers’ attention. This line is the catalyst for the rest of the novel’s events. The protagonist notably doesn’t claim the Magic Finger as her own, instead almost separating it from her body. The Magic Finger appears to have a mind of its own.

“The Magic Finger is something I have been able to do all my life. I can’t tell you just how I do it, because I don’t even know myself.”

The Magic Finger is a key part of the narrator’s character but remains a mystery to both her and readers. The source of its magic is unknown, but it correlates with the narrator’s rage. It becomes a tool through which the author can impart justice upon the other characters. 

“‘Oh, isn’t it lovely!’ cried William. ‘I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to be a bird.”

Despite being raised to be an avid hunter, William still has profound joy and curiosity about nature and its wonders. This inherent love is present in all the children in the story. Dahl shows how care for flora and fauna is innate in children.

“On the ground below them stood the four enormous ducks, as tall as men, and three of them were holding guns in their hands. One had Mr. Gregg’s gun, one had Philip’s gun, and one had William’s gun. The guns were all pointing right up at the nest.”

This is an example of irony: The Greggs are now the vulnerable animals being hunted by giant ducks. The family’s lives are at risk by their very own beloved guns. It is a reversal of the earlier scene where the Greggs were the hunters.

“‘Oh, dear! Oh, dear!’ she sobbed. ‘They have taken our house. What shall we do? We have no place to go!’ Even the boys began to cry a bit now.”

Through the invasion of Greggs’ home, Dahl represents the larger struggle between man and nature. The Greggs invade the woods, the home of the animals that live within it, and hunt its inhabitants. They, not the ducks, are the real intruders.

“And look at that one holding my lovely gun!’ shouted Mr. Gregg.”

Mr. Gregg continues to be enamored with guns and hunting. Despite seeing the bloodshed wrought with his weapon, Mr. Gregg believes his gun “lovely.” He is more distraught by the duck holding his gun than the harm his own family has inflicted.

“Mrs. Gregg took the two boys under her wings and hugged them. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I can mince it all up very fine and you won’t even know the difference. Lovely slug-burgers. Delicious worm burgers.’”

Mrs. Gregg represents traditional and stereotypical depictions of femininity and motherhood. She is frequently connected with the kitchen and cooking, in the same way that Mr. Gregg is with hunting. This representation of femininity and domesticity were especially common during the time the novel was written.

“‘Oh, that Magic Finger!’ I cried. ‘What has it done to my friends?’”

The narrator is not present for most of the events in the novel. She interjects as a reminder of the story’s oratory nature. The narrator is very caring, and despite being angry at the Greggs for hunting, she worries about what has happened to them.

“On the ground below them stood the four enormous ducks, as tall as men, and three of them were holding guns in their hands. One had Mr. Gregg’s gun, one had Philip’s gun, and one had William’s gun.”

In a reversal of the Greggs as hunters, the man-sized ducks are now trying to shoot the transformed family. Much like the Greggs, the ducks have stereotypical gender roles. Only the male ducks are seemingly interested in hunting. 

“‘Yesterday you shot my children,’ said the duck. ‘You shot all six of my children.’”

This moment shows the Greggs’ hypocrisy; they did not show the mercy they ask for now.

“‘I’ll do anything you say if you will only put down those guns!’ cried Mr. Gregg. ‘I’ll never shoot another duck or another deer or anything else again!’”

This is Mr. Gregg’s transformative moment. By swearing never to hunt or hurt another animal again, he shows remorse.  He gains forgiveness from the ducks and transforms back into a human.

“Then the black that was before their eyes turned to blue, to green, to red, and then to gold, and suddenly, there they were, standing in lovely bright sunshine in their own garden, near their own house, and everything was back to normal once again.”

This description exemplifies Dahl’s use of color. In the shift from black to gold, from darkness to the sun, Dahl shows the Gregg family’s shift from ignorance to enlightenment.

“‘My name is not Gregg any more,’ he said. ‘In honour of my feathered friends, I have changed it from Gregg to Egg.’”

The change of name demonstrates the former Mr. Gregg’s commitment to shifting from hunter to protector.