Boy, Roald Dahl - 'A ride in the motor-car'
Week 8 'A drive in the motor-car'
Items in this lesson
Week 8 'A drive in the motor-car'
What do you already know about Roald Dahl’s style of humour?
Lesson Objective
At the end of the lesson you will be able to analyse how Roald Dahl uses word choices to create humour in a traumatic scene.
What do you already know?
What do you already know about Roald Dahl’s style of humour in his stories?
Analysing a Humorous Line
Which words stand out in the line: 'gentleman, majestic and drunken arrival'? How do they add humour?
Vocabulary: Perpetual
Perpetual: Meaning 'never ending or changing'. Example: The perpetual noise made it hard to concentrate.
Vocabulary: Competence
Competence: Meaning 'the ability to do something successfully'. Example: She showed great competence in her work.
Dahl’s School List: Understanding Tone
Dahl’s list shows how unpleasant and strict boarding school is, making his dislike for it clear.
Q1b: Link to feelings about home
Because school is so bad, going home feels even more amazing for Dahl.
Q1a: Why list school routines?
Art of the Sentence
Write one sentence explaining why Dahl feels excited to go home, using a form of 'perpetual' in your answer.
Car Ownership in the 1920s
Read about car ownership in the 1920s. How did people learn to drive then? Was it safe?
Car Ownership in the 1920s
The automobile was first invented and developed in Germany and France in the late 1800s. In 1909, even the biggest automobile factory in Europe was producing fewer than 1,000 cars per year, so automobiles would have been a rare and extravagant sight on public streets.
However, as the manufacturing industry became more automated and demand for cars rose, car companies began to produce more automobiles that could be sold at lower prices. By the 1920s, car ownership was an option for families in middle-class Europe and America.
Cars were an exciting, revolutionary invention during this time, and “going for a drive” would have been a popular recreational activity. Drivers wore very elaborate and specific clothing while behind the wheel, including gloves, hats, and overcoats.
Because cars were so new, safety precautions like seatbelts and driver’s licenses were nonexistent. Even though cars of the 1920s weren’t as powerful and couldn’t go as fast as the cars of today, they still presented significant danger to drivers and passengers.
Diction and Sarcasm
Q2: How does Dahl’s choice of words make fun of his sister’s driving lessons? Give examples.
Action and Emotion: The Crash
Q3a: How does Dahl’s sister feel?
She seems anxious and scared. Words like 'clutching the steering wheel' show her panic.
Q3b: Why call her 'the driver'?
It creates distance and sarcasm, showing she's not really a skilled driver.
Incompetence and Humour
Q4a: Who seems most competent?
The brother seems more knowledgeable about cars than the sister.
Q4b: Humorous diction
Calling her 'harassed' makes light of the disaster, highlighting comic exaggeration.
The Man with the Egg Cart
Q5: Why focus on eggs and blood?
Dahl’s vivid description makes the man seem uncaring about Dahl’s injury.
Story Progression: Verbs and Tone
Q6a: Verb choice
Q6b: Reflects the journey
As things go from bad to worse, the verbs show increasing chaos.
The word ‘tottered’ paints the car as damaged and weak after the crash. It’s comic and sad at the same time.
Bravery and Character
Q7b: Is his mother dauntless?
Yes—she saves Dahl, showing bravery and a 'stiff upper lip'.
Q7a: Sister vs. Mother
Dahl’s sister is panicky and unsure. His mother stays calm and solves problems.
Comic Distance: Emotional Tone
Q8: Why doesn’t Dahl describe more feelings here?
Keeping it dry makes the scene funnier and fits the rest of the book.
