Vidhi Narula
Matilda Wormwood is a brilliant, young kid, who reads a lot and is curious about everything. Despite her parents’ neglect and indifference, Matilda grows up to be smarter than the lot. When she is enrolled in the ominous school, Crunchem Hall, she comes into her own as a person and stands up for what she believes in. Matilda goes on to become an icon for her peers because of her brave and commanding personality.
Directed by Matthew Warchus, ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ is the modern retelling of the 1988 classic story written by Roald Dahl. Furthermore, the West End Stage and Broadway play of the same name also form the basis of this musical family movie. At first glance, we believe that Matilda is armed with a literary superpower and a vibrant imagination. However, as the story unravels, we are introduced to a deeper and more layered portrayal of Matilda’s personality. Let’s dive deeper into the powers possessed by our beloved protagonist.
What Are Matilda’s Superpowers?
The brilliant child prodigy is talented in more ways than one. She consumes knowledge through reading as she devours numerous books in a single week. Moreover, Matilda has a diverse and vivid imagination that crafts stories and scenarios. Her parents’ disgust and apathy toward her diverted Matilda’s attention toward books and reading. Nonetheless, Matilda possesses powers beyond her wonderful intelligence.
In ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ and the original story, Matilda can move a glass and write on a blackboard without moving her physical body. She can do so because of her telekinesis powers. Deemed ‘telekinesis’ by unwitting children in the movie, the powers entail moving things with the power of the mind. Telekinesis allows people to move around objects when they concentrate on them hard enough.
Matilda realizes that the peak of her powers is when she feels sudden outbursts of emotions. From rage toward her uncaring parents to sympathizing with her innocent peers, Matilda can make maximum use of her powers when she feels to the fullest. That’s what ignites a spark in her to speak up and fight for what’s right.
When Matilda gets angry over Miss Trunchbull’s punishments, she explodes Chokey in a wink. At the end of the movie ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ also, Matilda takes over the chains and teaches Miss Trunchbull an unforgettable lesson. Furthermore, Matilda protects her friends from the cruel headmistress and gets Miss Honey’s house and inheritance back from Miss Trunchbull.
Nevertheless, Matilda’s powers are not explicitly the center of attention in the movie or the story. Her kind heart and brave spirit take center stage in the tale of her life. Furthermore, the musical movie puts forth a scenario where Matilda also possesses psychic powers. This includes telepathy as well as psychometry. These powers can make a person aware of another person’s feelings and thoughts by touching them or just being around them.
We believe so because Matilda experiences the formation of a story in her head. As clear as a sunny sky, she sees the story of an acrobat and an escapologist take shape in her imagination. At first, she thinks it’s her brain cooking up stories to amuse her. However, we later learn that the story in her head is real and belongs to Miss Honey. The acrobat and escapologists are Miss Honey’s parents. The exact same story that Matilda seemingly writes is Miss Honey’s life story.
Miss Honey does not tell Matilda about her parents or her experiences. Matilda is somehow aware of everything about Miss Honey’s past. This consolidates our belief that the young prodigy possesses psychic powers as well. In the movie, Matilda uses her telepathic and telekinesis powers for the good of her peers. She has the choice to be evil and use her powers to dominate the school. However, Matilda knows the ways of the world through reading books and only uses her abilities to do good.
In conclusion, Matilda is a superhero in the truest sense. Her powers are benefited from the knowledge she consumes from books. From such a young age, she has the ability to differentiate between what’s right and what’s wrong. Telekinesis and Telepathy are just secondary aides to her kind heart and curious mind.
Read More: Is Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical Based on a True Story?
