Definition
- knowledgable1 (noun)
- 1. Well-informed.
Evidence
Quotes
- Grandpa Joe: Did you know, for example, that he has himself invented more than two hundred new kinds of candy bars...2
- Grandpa Joe: ...the factory was running. And it's gone on running ever since these last ten years. What's more, the chocolates and candies it's been turning out have become more fantastic and delicious all the time.3
- Grandpa Joe leaned forward and took a close look, his nose almost touching the ticket. The others waited for his verdict.4
- Grandpa Joe: Remember you once asked me how a bullet comes out of a gun?5
Observations
- The book features a lengthy (multi-chapter) sequence in which Grandpa Joe expounds at length on Wonka and his inventions6
- Grandpa Joe runs down a list of manufacturers and what secrets they stole from Wonka.7
Analysis
There can be no question that Grandpa Joe has a near encylopedic knowledge of Wonka and his creations. This is somewhat difficult to explain since he has supposedly been bed-ridden for twenty years. One could assume he learned things from the television, but then why wouldn't the rest of the family know?
The two give-aways are his intimate knowledge of the workings of firearms and the examination of the Golden ticket. It seems clear the other grandparents expect Grandpa Joe to be able to spot a forged Golden ticket. They evidently expect him to know the tell-tale signs of a forgery. Given what else we know of him, it seems likely that this knowledge comes not from a life-time in law enforcement, but from experience using and preparing forged documents.
Grandpa Joe's knowledge of which of Wonka's products have been stolen by which competitor is a sign that he is involved in the information game. He can use this information to determine which manufacturers might be interested in the things he learns.
Footnotes and Sources
- Arbor Media, Inc., AllWords.Com.
Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 AllSites.com, Inc. - Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (New York: Puffin Books, 1998) p. 10
- Dahl, p. 18
- Dahl, p. 47
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart, US, 100 mins).
- Dahl, pp. 11-18
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton, US, 115 mins).