Literary Devices in The BFG
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
We don’t know when, exactly, The BFG is set. The book was published in 1982, and the Queen could be Queen Elizabeth II, but her name is never mentioned. In the story, Sophie lives in an orphanage...
Narrator Point of View
For almost the entire book, the narrator follows Sophie. The BFG does not appear until Sophie sees him, and when the BFG hides while the Queen has her dream, the story shows Sophie waiting, not the...
Genre
This book is, without a doubt, meant for children. The main character is a girl who is treated badly by the adult in charge of her orphanage before discovering a new fantasy world and a happy endin...
Tone
It’s easy to see that the author had fun writing The BFG. From The BFG’s language to the giants’ world to the characters like the butler, the Queen, and the Heads of the Army and Air Force, m...
Writing Style
What’s the best way to narrate larger-than-life events and characters? Act like they’re nbd. The narration in this book is very simple, reading like, “Sophie was on the table-top. The enormou...
What's Up With the Title?
The BFG is a pretty obvious title for this book. The only other obvious option might’ve been to name the book after the main character, Sophie, or at least give them dual credit with a “Sophie...
What's Up With the Ending?
The ending of The BFG is the happily-ever-after type. The killer giants are put in a pit where they can’t eat humans anymore, and Sophie and the BFG get a sweet setup in neighboring houses. Plus...
Tough-o-Meter
Roald Dahl isn’t out to confuse you. Because The BFG was written for children as well as adults, it’s narrated in short, brief sentences. But there is a difference between this book and everyth...
Plot Analysis
A NorphanageWe don’t get much of the initial situation: the conflict in this book happens almost immediately. Mostly, we hear about Sophie’s prior life through her dialogue, when she’s alread...
Trivia
The BFG first appeared in another of Dahl’s books, Danny and the Champion of the World, published in 1975. He was part of a story Danny’s dad told him, which included his dream-mixing abilities...
Steaminess Rating
The BFG is a book that was written for children. That’s why no curse words are spoken (except in BFG-language—“scumscrewer” be darned) and it’s also why the mean giants wear skirts around...
Allusions
Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby (14.103)