How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
“I don’t want to give the Queen a nightmare,” Sophie said. “I is thinking,” the BFG said, “that your Queen will be happy to have a nightmare if having a nightmare is going to save a lot of human beans from being gobbled up by filthsome giants. Is I right or is I left?” “I suppose you’re right,” Sophie said. “It’s got to be done.” (16.27-29)
Nightmares are taken very seriously in this book, and poor Sophie doesn’t want to put the Queen through any pain, even if the pain is only until she wakes up. So the BFG pulls out another right-and-left (er, wrong) lesson: that their end goal (saving people’s lives) trumps leaving the Queen to sleep in peace.
Quote #8
“I do not approve of murder,” the Queen said. “But they are murderers themselves!” cried the Head of the Army. “That is no reason why we should follow their example,” said the Queen. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” (21.11-13)
No wonder the Queen and BFG get along. They both have the same sense of right and left. Not to mention right and wrong. These two tell you a lot about the book’s moral compass, because they don’t believe in sinking to the giants’ level, no matter how much better off the human world would be without them.
Quote #9
“That’s all very well,” said the Head of the Army. “But how do we get the brutes back here? We can’t load fifty-foot giants on to trucks! Shoot ‘em on the spot, that’s what I say!” (21.26)
Yikes. The Head of the Army is actually making the argument here that they should shoot the giants because it would be easier. So much for the Queen’s (and the BFG’s) moral values.