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I know everyone is probably gonna watch The Witches and there isn't much we can do to stop Hollywood constantly re-telling Dahl stories but at the very least please know he was an *enormous* antisemite and those tropes appear throughout his work. https://www.heyalma.com/is-roald-dahls-the-witches-antisemitic/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Instagram&utm_campaign=linkinbio&utm_content=later-11179814
Roald Dahl believed Hitler was justified.
Here's a direct quote: “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity. I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason."
Here's a direct quote: “There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity. I mean, there’s always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason."
Here's why people believe The Witches was especially antisemitic: "For two main reasons: the descriptions of the witches themselves, and the way the plot plays into two key antisemitic tropes (Jews control the banks, and Jews kill Christian children)."
So look I have definitely given up hope of anyone caring about what Dahl believed and how is virulent antisemitism informed and shaped the stories he wrote. But at least please inform yourself about the antisemitic tropes and consider the harm done in perpetuating them.
(And let's be clear I have only just scratched the surface here with things he said and believed about Jews. He always doubled down on his hate and he was not in any way ashamed of it.)
And since we're here, let's take a sec and talk about how absolutely incredibly racist the Oompa Loompas are. Dahl literally based his depiction of them on African tribes that were known for their short stature.
The man was unashamedly vile and his hate permeates all his stories
The man was unashamedly vile and his hate permeates all his stories
