Matilda’s Power Symbol Analysis

Matilda’s miraculous power is, essentially, a manifestation of her firm sense of morality. With her power, Matilda can channel her anger at the injustices she sees in the world and with it, cause objects to move. At first, Matilda uses her power—accidentally—to tip a glass of water containing a newt onto Miss Trunchbull’s chest. Miss Trunchbull is unfairly tormenting the students prior to this incident, and this enrages the justice-loving Matilda. So Miss Trunchbull’s unfairness provides Matilda with the emotional ammunition she needs to tip over the glass, thereby embarrassing Miss Trunchbull—and getting back at the tyrannical headmistress for abusing students.

Later, when Matilda hears about how Miss Trunchbull has abused Miss Honey for years and is even now stealing Miss Honey’s paycheck and living in the house that rightfully belongs to Miss Honey, Matilda can’t let this injustice go. Instead, she channels her anger and her desire for justice until she’s able to control her power enough to write with chalk on the blackboard. Matilda makes it seem like the ghost of Miss Honey’s father—whom Miss Trunchbull may have murdered—is the person writing, telling Miss Trunchbull to leave Miss Honey alone and give the young woman back her house. When Matilda frightens Miss Trunchbull so badly that Miss Trunchbull leaves the school and the house, never to be seen again, it gets Miss Honey the justice she deserves.

Having saved Miss Honey from financial ruin and students and parents from Miss Trunchbull’s tyranny, Matilda soon discovers that her power disappears. At this point, Miss Honey suggests that Matilda no longer has anything to fight against. She’s in a class that challenges her, and she was able to get rid of Miss Trunchbull. Put simply, after having righted the wrongs in her world, Matilda no longer needs her power to fight back, as there’s no longer anything to fight back against.