More than any other Dahl novel, this is a story about love between a parent and child. Danny’s description of his father as 'the most marvellous and exciting father any boy ever had' is sincere and moving. Dahl dedicates the book to his own father. The relationship is based on honesty, respect and joy.
Mr Hazell represents wealth and status used to bully and exclude. Danny’s father represents the ordinary man with skills, intelligence and dignity. Dahl’s sympathy is entirely with the poacher, not the gamekeeper.
Danny’s sleeping-powder raisin plan is the product of an imaginative, creative mind. Dahl consistently celebrates people who use their brains to solve problems in unexpected ways.
Danny’s father believes deeply in joy, imagination and fun. The caravan, the bedtime stories, the poaching plan — all are expressions of a life lived with delight and creativity, not just duty.
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