Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Vice and Virtue
Parenting
Poverty and Wealth
Fun, Absurdity, and Wonder
Prejudice and Bigotry
Summary
Analysis
Mr. Wonka leads everyone to a huge machine. He presses three buttons and the machine shakes, fills a tub with brightly colored liquid, and then froths. Then, it sucks the mixture in and with a groan, a drawer opens. There’s a small gray strip in the drawer. Mike Teavee is disgusted that that’s all the machine made, but Violet says she knows what it is: gum. Mr. Wonka says that she’s right.
This entire chapter is intended to draw readers in and delight them: with the press of a few buttons, the machine makes interesting noises, swirls around bright colors, and shakes. The whole process is absurd, especially since what comes out is a gray piece of gum—but it’s nonetheless fun and intriguing for the characters (and readers) to experience.
Themes
