Most fans know Roald Dahl as a beloved children’s author. Some have even heard of his exploits in espionage. Others know him as an anti-Semite.
Best known for his whimsical stories and quotes about magic, Dahl didn’t translate the same type of generosity to his personal views.
“There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity, maybe it’s a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews,” he told the New Statesman in a 1983 interview. “I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason. I mean, if you and I were in a line moving towards what we knew were gas chambers, I’d rather have a go at taking one of the guards with me; but they [the Jews] were always submissive.”
After complaining about “those powerful American Jewish bankers,” he put a fine point on his bigotry in 1990, saying, “I am certainly anti-Israel, and I have become anti-Semitic.”
Because of his comments, the United Kingdom’s Royal Mint decided not to put his face on a commemorative coin, and many readers were devastated to learn that Dahl was not the type of person his novels would lead you to believe. Some readers have even argued that we should not celebrate his works. But there’s a difference between commemorating Dahl himself and praising his work, which stands apart from the writer.
The majority of readers will remember Dahl on his 100th birthday, Sept. 13, as the author of beloved books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, and James and the Giant Peach. Some 1 million copies of his books are sold each year, and the majority of British readers have read at least one Dahl book. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which has been adapted into two films, is the most popular.)
On Roald Dahl’s birthday, we can and should celebrate his literature and its cultural impact. His writing covers themes about friendship and understanding that, fortunately for millions of children, contradict his stated beliefs. If only he had taken his own advice from The Twits about avoiding “ugly” thoughts: “If you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
