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Mr. Bucket
Mrs. Bucket is Charlie’s mother and Mr. Bucket’s wife. She’s a stay-at-home parent who spends most of her time caring for her parents, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina; and her in-laws, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine, all of whom are bed-bound. She’s extremely kind and generous, and it seems like the most important thing to her is caring for her family. She only seems to forget her troubles for a short period of time every night, when the entire family gathers to listen to the grandparents tell stories. When Charlie learns that he’ll be able to move to the chocolate factory at the end of the novel, he initially is sad that Mrs. Bucket won’t come too—she’s too loyal, he suggests, and won’t leave the grandparents.
Mrs. Bucket Quotes in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Bucket or refer to Mrs. Bucket. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
Mr. Bucket, however hard he worked, and however fast he screwed on the caps, was never able to make enough to buy one-half of the things that so large a family needed. There wasn’t even enough money to buy proper food for them all. The only meals they could afford were bread and margarine for breakfast, boiled potatoes and cabbage for lunch, and cabbage soup for supper. Sundays were a bit better. They all looked forward to Sundays because then, although they had exactly the same, everyone was allowed a second helping.
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The narrator is introducing the Bucket family and establishing how impoverished the Buckets are. Mr. Bucket, the only employed adult in the family, can’t earn enough money to support his family of seven—six adults and Charlie, a little boy. The way that the narrator describes the Buckets’ poverty makes it seem that they’re doing all they can, but there’s little hope that they’ll ever be able to improve their economic status. Rather, Mr. Bucket—and by extension, his entire family—is at the mercy of an employment system that will force him to work harder and harder while still earning very little Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Lib
Charlie felt it worst of all. And although his father and mother often went without their own share of lunch or supper so that they could give it to him, it still wasn’t nearly enough for a growing boy. He desperately wanted something more filling and satisfying than cabbage and cabbage soup. The one thing he longed for more than anything else was…CHOCOLATE.
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In describing the Bucket family’s poverty, the narrator explains that Charlie, the only child in the Bucket family, wants more filling meals and chocolate in particular. First, it’s important that Mr. and Mrs. Bucket, Charlie’s parents, make a point to give Charlie some or all of their meals. This shows that while Charlie’s goodness may seem to come out of nowhere, that’s actually not true—Charlie’s parents are modeling kindness, selflessness, and generosity for him by giving him their food. Put another way, Charlie is learning from his parents the value of sharing what he has with others. This, of course, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et
Chapter 2 Quotes
He was the only bright thing in their lives, and his evening visits were something that they looked forward to all day long. Often, Charlie’s mother and father would come in as well, and stand by the door, listening to the stories that the old people told; and thus, for perhaps half an hour every night, this room would become a happy place, and the whole family would forget that it was hungry and poor.
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The narrator explains how, every evening, Charlie goes into his grandparents’ room to listen to them tell stories. This ritual becomes a way for Charlie’s family to emotionally escape from their poverty. The narrator implies that Charlie’s family has nothing fun or engaging to do in the evenings, aside from spending time together and listening to stories. This makes several points: first, it suggests that Charlie’s family isn’t necessarily less happy or less fulfilled because they’re poor. They set an example of something that the novel suggests is desirable: without anything else to distract them (such as television or sweets), Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neq
Chapter 10 Quotes
“That child,” said Grandpa Joe, poking his head up from under the blanket one icy morning, “that child has got to have more food. It doesn’t matter about us. We’re too old to bother with. But a growing boy! He can’t go on like this! He’s beginning to look like a skeleton!”
“What can one do?” murmured Grandma Josephine miserably. “He refuses to take any of ours. I hear his mother tried to slip her own piece of bread onto his plate at breakfast this morning, but he wouldn’t touch it. He made her take it back.”
“He’s a fine fellow,” said Grandpa George. “He deserves better than this.”
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Several weeks after Mr. Bucket loses his job and the Bucket family begins to starve, Charlie’s grandparents discuss what to do about Charlie—the one person in the family, they believe, who actually needs more food. The simple fact that Charlie’s family members are willing to give up their own meals in order to help him survive shows just how loyal the Buckets are to one another. Grandpa Joe makes it seem like giving up his food is inconsequential—it’s just what the grandparents should do, in his opinion. Moreover, Grandma Josephine also makes it clear that it’s not just the grandparents Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci
Chapter 30 Quotes
“I’m afraid my mother won’t come with us,” Charlie said sadly.
“Why ever not?”
“Because she won’t leave Grandma Josephine and Grandma Georgina and Grandpa George.”
“But they must come too.”
“They can’t,” Charlie said. “They’re very old and they haven’t been out of bed for twenty years.”
“Then we’ll take the bed along as well, with them in it,” said Mr. Wonka. “There’s plenty of room in this elevator for a bed.”
“You couldn’t get the bed out of the house,” said Grandpa Joe. “It won’t go through the door.”
“You mustn’t despair!” cried Mr. Wonka. “Nothing is impossible! You watch!”
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Mr. Wonka has just offered to let Charlie come live at the factory, now that he’s going to inherit it—along with the rest of Charlie’s family. Though Charlie shares Mr. Wonka’s willingness to look at the world with awe and wonder, Charlie is still practical and sensible. He thinks that there are things that just aren’t going to happen—such as convincing Mrs. Bucket that she should abandon the grandparents to their bed and come with him to the chocolate factory. With this, Charlie makes it clear that his family members are very loyal to one another. Even the draw of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut min
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Mrs. Bucket Character Timeline in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Bucket appears in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...and Grandma Josephine, Mr. Bucket’s parents. The other two old people, also in bed, are Mrs. Bucket ’s parents, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina. Mr. and Mrs. Bucket have a son too,...
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Charlie suffers the most out of his family. Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket regularly give Charlie their helpings of food, but it’s not enough for a growing boy...
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Chapter 2
...and look forward to their evenings with him all day long. Often, Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket stand in the doorway and listen to their parents’ stories. For the half hour every...
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Chapter 3
...who works there. Grandpa Joe starts to tell Charlie who runs Mr. Wonka’s factory, but Mrs. Bucket insists that it’s time for bed.
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Chapter 6
...that Mr. Salt spoils Veruca, and it never ends well to spoil a child. Then, Mrs. Bucket tells Charlie it’s time for bed—in the morning, he’ll want to get up early to...
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Chapter 7
...the edge of the bed, holding his Wonka’s Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bar. Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket stand at the foot of the bed, and everyone watches Charlie silently. Charlie strokes the...
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...nothing more. Charlie looks up at his family, smiles, and offers his candy bar to Mrs. Bucket . She refuses, as do the rest of Charlie’s family when he offers to let...
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Chapter 8
Grandma Georgina asks if all kids are “brats” these days. Mrs. Bucket says that not all kids behave like that, and Grandpa George notes that there’s still...
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Chapter 10
...announces that Charlie needs more food because he’s a growing boy. Grandma Josephine frets that Mrs. Bucket tried to give Charlie extra bread this morning, but Charlie refused to take it. Grandpa...
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...candy bar at the nearest shop and then give the rest of the money to Mrs. Bucket .
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Chapter 12
When Charlie reaches his house, he bursts in the front door, shouting for Mrs. Bucket . She’s serving the grandparents their soup, so Charlie rushes into the room and waves...
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Mrs. Bucket exclaims that tomorrow is February 1; Charlie found the ticket just in time. Grandpa Joe...
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Chapter 30
...points to his house down below, and the elevator shoots for it. Sadly, Charlie says Mrs. Bucket won’t come, since she won’t leave the elderly folks in bed. Mr. Wonka insists that...
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...Josephine’s false teeth fall out, and Grandpa George hides under his blanket. Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket rush to see what happened. Charlie rushes out of the elevator and into his mother’s...
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...Grandpa Joe, and Charlie push the bed into the elevator and pull Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket in after them. The elevator shoots up into the sky, and Charlie climbs onto his...
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