Theme
statement
“The Wish” Exemplar
The short story “The Wish” by Roald Dahl makes us think about the challenges of growing
up and how we respond to these challenges throughout life. Through the use of imagery and
extended metaphor Dahl uses the character of a curiously imaginative young boy to help us
reflect on the delicacy of our childhood innocence. From the beginning of the story the
author uses the image of a scab to emphasize the boys curiosity: “With a fingernail he began
to explore cautiously around the edges” (p1). As the scab comes off beautifully, leaving an
interesting little circle of of smooth red skin,” we realize the fragility of the boy’s childhood
Transition
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Insight
and how it too can be torn away very easily. Later, as the story develops, we learn that the
carpet- the subject of the boy’s fantasies- is actually an extended metaphor that represents
conflicts in life. The “black parts” representing hardship, the “poisonous snakes” a symbol
for temptation alluding to the serpent, and the yellow as “the only colour he was allowed to
walk on” (p1) each connect with conflict, temptation, and momentary reprieve in the boy’s
life. Dahl uses the sympathetic image of a puppy as the reward for success throughout this
Integrated
quotes
hardship that, arguably, represents balance in a life of chaos. Sadly, as we near the end of
the story, Dahl vividly relays an image of failure as the boy, “put[s] out a hand to break the
fall and the next thing he saw was this bare hand of his going right into the middle of a great
glistening mass of black…” (p3). Dahl captures this moment as the boy falls from his
Advanced
vocabulary
innocence into the inevitable ‘blackness’ of life, thus leaving his childhood behind. The final
line is set apart in a small paragraph to emphasize how the moth has figuratively lost her
son: “Outside in the sunshine, far away behind the house, the mother was looking for her
son” (p3). To conclude, after reading the story we learn how delicate childhood can be and
how the transition from innocence is apparently inevitable.
Conclusion
Insight