Matilda: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

It’s Thursday, the day when Miss Trunchbull takes over Miss Honey’s class. In the morning, Miss Honey checks in with the students who were physically harmed last time. Nigel says he wishes he were a grown-up—he’d knock Miss Trunchbull over. Miss Honey tells the children to practice their three-times table and releases them for lunch.

After lunch, the class waits silently for Miss Trunchbull. Soon enough, the Trunchbull strides in and checks the jug. There’s no newt this time, so the Trunchbull points to a small boy named Wilfred and asks him to recite the three-times table backwards. He insists he hasn’t learned it backwards and Miss Honey murmurs that she doesn’t teach things backwards, since life moves forward—and anyway, could Miss Trunchbull really recite a word backwards without practice? The Trunchbull snaps at Miss Honey and gives Wilfred a problem: how much fruit does he have if he has seven apples, seven oranges, and seven bananas?

Wilfred cries out that that’s adding, not multiplication. The Trunchbull shrieks that it is multiplication and the answer is 21. She gives him another question: how many nuts does he have if he has eight coconuts, eight monkey-nuts, and eight “nutty little idiots” like Wilfred? Flustered, Wilfred counts on his fingers, but the Trunchbull screams that this is simple multiplication. By now, Wilfred is too afraid and upset to even try, so the Trunchbull flips him up and grabs him by an ankle.

Just as the Trunchbull screams at Wilfred that eight threes is 24, Nigel screeches that the chalk is moving on its own. Everyone stares at the blackboard, where the chalk is writing “Agatha.” The Trunchbull drops Wilfred and asks who’s doing this in a shout. But the chalk keeps writing. It writes that this is Magnus—and at this, Miss Honey glances at Matilda. Matilda’s eyes look like glittering stars. Then, “Magnus” tells the Trunchbull to “give my Jenny back her house.” Everyone is staring at the Trunchbull, whose face is white. Magnus continues, commanding the Trunchbull to give Jenny her wages and the house—or he’ll come for the Trunchbull. The chalk falls to the ground and breaks. 

Wilfred screams that the Trunchbull is on the floor—and sure enough, she fainted. Miss Honey sends someone to fetch the matron, while Nigel notes that his father insists it’s best to pour water over someone who’s fainted. He dumps the water in the jug on the Trunchbull’s head and no one says anything.

Matilda sits motionless and happy. She feels wonderful—writing with the chalk had been so easy. The matron and five teachers rush in. One of the teachers congratulates Miss Honey and another suggests they throw more water on the Trunchbull, but the Matron scolds her helpers. Once the adults get Miss Trunchbull out of the room, Miss Honey sends her class to the playground. Miss Honey hugs and kisses Matilda as she passes by.