A little boy and his mother enter the ice cream store, and you see him point excitedly to the flavors listed on the screen, exclaiming, “Chocolate! Chocolate!” It’s nothing unusual; chocolate has long been a fascination and favorite of many people, and from being devoured as a simple bar to its incorporation in a fifty-dollar set of exquisite chocolate macarons, it has clearly made an impact in the culinary world.
Easily one of Roald Dahl’s most classic works, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has long been a favorite of many children. After all, it focuses on something that nearly every child covets—chocolate—and more than that, they have a whole factory of it.
Charlie has always loved chocolate, yet his humble financial circumstance means that it is a rare treat, a source of joy amidst his hardships. But when he finds a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, he enters the eccentric world of chocolate. Chocolate is the key to this new chapter in life; from waterfalls to TVs, everything is chocolate.
But beyond acting as a sweet treat that children love, chocolate plays a far more significant role in the book. Chocolate is the object of Willy Wonka’s fascination and the source of his wealth. It is his obsession, what he aims to perfect over and over again. A symbol of temptation and desire, Willy Wonka’s chocolate is a source of wonder to Charlie and the other children that visit the man’s factory.
To Charlie, who has been poor all his life, chocolate is a magical substance, one he carefully savors. In many ways, it is a form of escape from his impoverished life. On the other hand, chocolate acts as a foil for wealthy and spoiled children like Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt, demonstrating their greed. Unlike Charlie, who appreciates chocolate for its taste, others can’t help but want more and more. In the end, Charlie’s kind heart convinces Willy Wonka to make him his successor. More chocolate for Charlie!
A Little History:
Chocolate originates from ancient Mesoamerica—present day Mexico—and was used for its “medicinal” properties, consumed as a bitter beverage, before being brought to Europe in the 16th century and undergoing changes in how it was eaten. The process of manufacturing chocolate would be carefully cultivated as time went by, and the Industrial Revolution would facilitate its mass-production.
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