Credit: Matilda, Roald Dahl
These powerful quotes from Roald Dahl’s Matilda are guaranteed to light a fire in your belly.
In 1988, Roald Dahl gave us Matilda. And, in doing so, he changed our lives forever.
Why? Well, because the brilliant little Matilda Wormwood is definitely the hero of her own story. When she finds herself bullied and belittled by her family and the evil Miss Trunchbull, she refuses to give in or let them shape her character, choosing instead to seek solace in the local library.
The books she devours night after night teach her the value of love and kindness – traits we see in her as she cheers on Bruce Bogtrotter, rescues her fellow classmates from the Trunchbull’s over-the-top punishments, and hatches a plan to save Miss Honey from her tyrannical and abusive aunt.
Most importantly, however, we see that Matilda may be small, but she is mighty. There’s a power hidden away inside of her, which she can tap into whenever she wants to roar against the lions of injustice – and, through her own tiny acts of rebellion, she brings about change.
No wonder, then, that she’s become synonymous with the word ‘bravery’ over the years.
Here, we look back over the Matilda quotes which inspired us to have courage, to be kind, and to be the heroes of our own stories.
On power
“A sense of power was brewing in those eyes of hers.”
On projects
“Never do things by halves. Go the whole hog.”
On hard work
“She felt fairly confident that with a great deal of practice and effort, she would succeed in the end.”
On perseverance
“It’s going to be tough, but I’m determined to do it.”
On toughness
“We may be small, but we’re quite tough.”
On strength
“It is not easy for somebody as small as that to score points against an all-powerful grown up.”
On heroism
“It was her turn now to become a heroine.”
On determination
“Even so, she was determined to have a go.”
On friendship
“Matilda liked her because she was gutsy and adventurous. She liked Matilda for exactly the same reasons.”
On taking charge
“It was her turn now to become a heroine if only she could come up with a brilliant plot.”
On standing up to bullies
“At this moment she felt ready to take on anybody.”
On fear
“A strange feeling of confidence and serenity swept over her and all of a sudden she found that she was frightened by nobody in the world.”
On goals
“She longed to do something truly heroic.”
Images: Roald Dahl, provided by The Official Roald Dahl Website
undefined
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.