23 pages • 46 minutes read
Roald Dahl, Illustr. Quentin BlakeThe Magic Finger
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1966A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Repetition
Authors use this literary device to emphasize a point or clarify an idea. By using a word or phrase repeatedly, one draws the reader’s attention to a scene and makes moments in the text more memorable. Authors can use repetition in the same sentence, or extend it over the course of a single work.
In The Magic Finger, Dahl uses repetition to make narrative beats more predictable. Repetition allows younger readers to foresee upcoming events. Dahl also uses repetition to draw attention to certain sequences and actions. When the unnamed narrator uses the Magic Finger, she says: “I saw red. And before I was able to stop myself, I did something I never meant to do” (10). The color red repeats in the text and, paired with the narrator’s anger, signals the coming of the Magic Finger. The repetition becomes an incantation.
Dialogue
Used by Plato to describe Socrates’s transcribed works, the term “dialogue” is now used to refer to a character’s spoken lines. Dialogue between characters can establish characterization, tone, and provide context and information.
The Magic Finger is composed almost entirely of dialogue. The first-person perspective of the novel gives it an oratory quality. It is like the narrator is telling the events of the story firsthand. Through dialogue, the reader learns about the narrator’s dislike for hunting and Mr. Gregg’s love of guns and eventual change of heart. The last line of the novel is dialogue. The narrator declares: “You wait and see! They’ll be nesting in the trees tonight, every one of them!” (63). This ends the novel on a cliffhanger. It leaves the reader guessing about the events that will follow and encourages them to speculate about the Coopers’ fate.
Wordplay
Dahl is known for making up silly words and names to describe things and people. Wordplay creates a fun reading experience and helps younger audiences stay engaged and learn new words.
The clearest example of wordplay in The Magic Finger occurs at the end of the novel. After his change of heart, Mr. Gregg tells the narrator: “My name is not Gregg any more […] In honour of my feathered friends, I have changed it from Gregg to Egg” (60). This signifies the family’s emotional transformation, marking a new love and care for animals. Dahl’s wordplay is also foreshadowing. The Greggs’ eventual sympathy for ducks is contained in their name from the beginning.
Characterization Tools
Characterization is a literary device that explores and showcases a character’s personality. Characterization often occurs in stages. The author initially gives surface-level details, then provides more hints and information about a character’s internal struggles and motivations. Characterization is vital in literary texts; it allows readers to better understand and connect with characters in a work.
Dahl describes characters’ personalities indirectly through their physical appearance, actions, and names. He uses small details to give the reader information. Mrs. Winter, for example, is the unnamed narrator’s mean teacher. Her name suggests that she is cold and barren, rather than warm and nurturing. When she ridicules the narrator, her actions match the harshness of her name.
Related Titles
By these authors
