From Pygmies to Puppets: What To Do with Roald Dahl’s Enslaved Oompa-Loompas in Modern Adaptations?
Blog
Cantrell, Kate and Burton, David. 2021. "From Pygmies to Puppets: What To Do with Roald Dahl’s Enslaved Oompa-Loompas in Modern Adaptations?" The Conversation.
| Article Title | From Pygmies to Puppets: What To Do with Roald Dahl’s Enslaved Oompa-Loompas in Modern Adaptations? |
|---|---|
| Article Category | Blog |
| Authors | Cantrell, Kate (Author) and Burton, David (Author) |
| Publication Title | The Conversation |
| Year | 2021 |
| Place of Publication | Australia |
| Web Address (URL) | https://theconversation.com/from-pygmies-to-puppets-what-to-do-with-roald-dahls-enslaved-oompa-loompas-in-modern-adaptations-166967 |
| Abstract | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, like all of Roald Dahl’s novels for children, celebrates courage, resilience, and the creative power of childhood. Charlie Bucket is literally starving to death by the time he arrives at Willy Wonka’s factory. Yet his steely determination to find the last golden ticket, combined with his strong moral compass, sees him emerge as Wonka’s heir, his family’s hero, and the architect of his fate. But there is a troubling aspect to this story. In the first edition of Charlie (1964), the Oompa-Loompas are black pygmies who Wonka imports from “the deepest darkest part of the African jungle” and enslaves in his factory. In this latest stage production, the Oompa-Loompas are transformed into “humanettes” (living dolls that are part human, part puppet). Their recent manifestation raises a number of questions. What do the Oompa-Loompas represent? And how should they be portrayed in modern-day adaptations? |
| Keywords | Roald Dahl; children's fiction; racism; whitewashing; puppets; children's theatre; Oompa-Loopmas; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory |
| Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 360403. Drama, theatre and performance studies |
| 470506. Children's literature | |
| 360201. Creative writing (incl. scriptwriting) | |
| Byline Affiliations | School of Humanities and Communication |
| School of Creative Arts | |
| Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
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