The BFG

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the word “giant.” What image comes to mind? Does this word have a positive or negative connotation? Can you think of a piece of literature, film, or television show where one of the characters is a giant? If so, how is this character depicted in the story?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider the themes of The Victory of the Underdog, The Power of Friendship, and The Joy of Silliness and Imagination within the context of the novel’s motif of giants. In the realm of folklore, giants are often characterized as antagonistic creatures; however, Dahl departs from this presumption by developing the protagonist of the BFG (i.e., Big Friendly Giant) as someone who does not eat humans, unlike the rest of his kind in Giant Country. Students may use the first link below in their initial research for answering this question. While the second link is more of a teacher-facing resource, it may be beneficial to guide students through relevant portions of the text.

• This article from the American Museum of Natural History provides examples of tales of giants in mythology and folklore.
• “Roald Dahl and the Construction of Childhood: Writing the Child as Other” explores Dahl’s understanding of childhood as well as his ability to write about and celebrate the world of children.

Short Activity

In addition to The BFG, author Roald Dahl wrote numerous novels and short stories for children and adults. Working in small groups, select one of Dahl’s books to review and briefly summarize with the class. In your presentation, consider the following questions: Who are the main characters? What is the setting? Does Dahl include any of the themes of The Victory of the Underdog, The Power of Friendship, and/or The Joy of Silliness and Imagination in your chosen story? If so, how?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore Dahl’s literary canon in conjunction with the themes of The Victory of the Underdog, The Power of Friendship, and The Joy of Silliness and Imagination. Students who are unfamiliar with presenting in front of the class may benefit from a provided rubric for grading.

• This History article shares information on Roald Dahl’s tragic childhood and professional life.
• This article from Smithsonian Magazine discusses Dahl’s background along with his motivations for writing.

Differentiation Suggestion: Classes short on time and students who struggle with reading fluency may find the second resource inaccessible. Due to its length and complexity, you might consider reviewing only small portions of the article with the class, or you might cover one section at a time as students begin researching and reading Dahl’s works. It may also be beneficial to break the class up into groups and choose one story for each group to research and report on; this may simplify the task and increase efficiency in the research process.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

In many stories, an unlikely hero—usually referred to as an “underdog”—is able to defeat the forces of evil. Think of a popular story in which an “underdog” defeats an enemy. What type of attributes does this person have? What makes this type of hero so relatable for audiences?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider the term “underdog” in relation to their own understanding of the theme The Victory of the Underdog. In Dahl’s novel, both protagonists—the BFG and Sophie—are underdogs, as they are marginalized and/or disliked by their respective communities. However, by working together, they are able to defeat their enemies—the giants who wreak havoc across the world by eating people. Both the BFG and Sophie are relatable to audiences because they are kind, genuine, and sincere in their efforts.