“Mrs Pratchett” by Roald Dahl

The sweet- shop in Llandaff in the year 1923 was the very centre of our lives. To us, it was what a bar is to a drunk, or a church is to a Bishop. Without it, there would have been little to live for. But it had one terrible drawback, this sweet-shop. The woman who owned it was a horror. We hated her and we had a good reason for doing so.

Her name was Mrs Pratchett. She was a small skinny old hag with a moustache on her upper lip and a mouth as sour as a gooseberry. She never smiled. She never welcomed us when we went in, and the only times she spoke were when she said things like, “I’m watchin’ you so keep yer thievin’ fingers of them chocolates!” Or “I don’t want you in ‘ere just to look around! Either you fork out or you get out!”

But by far the most loathsome thing about Mrs Pratchett was the filth that clung around her. Her apron was grey and greasy. Her blouse had bits of breakfast all over it, toast-crumbs and tea stains and splotches of dried egg-yolk. It was her hands, however, that disturbed us most. They were disgusting. They were black with dirt and grime. They looked as though they had been putting lumps of coal on the fire all day long.

As we read through, have a think about how Roald Dahl paints a picture for the reader. Consider what we learn about her, what techniques he uses and what effect these techniques have, what is the effect of the use of dialogue?

Answers

• About Mrs Pratchett –
• Greasy apron/dirty hands/toast crumbs/tea stains on her blouse/dried egg
• Mean/Grumpy
• Doesn’t smile
• Shouts at the kids
• Small/skinny/Moustache on the upper lip
• The effect –
• To put a picture in our minds of what Mrs Pratchett looks like and her personality. Eg, dirty, old, unkind
• Techniques – Simile:
• They looked as though they had been putting lumps of coal on the fire all day long. (her hands)
• Mouth as sour as a gooseberry.
• Techniques – Metaphor
• The filth that clung around her.