Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Willie Wonka is an exciting and chaotic character who epitomizes Imagination and Adventure. Wonka conveys these values in his way of life, intentionally inviting elements of unpredictability and madness, and also in his clothing, a purple suit coat with tails and a top hat, with pockets filled with a yoyo, a rubber egg, and itching powder. Wonka is further characterized by his chocolate factory, a wondrous and magical place filled with inconceivable delights and dangers. Even his name, Willie Wonka, denotes his eccentric and silly nature.

Wonka responds to the President’s insistence that the invaders identify themselves with a long, confident delivery of nonsense words: “BUNGO BUNI DAFU DUNI YUBEE LUNI!” (42). This response confounds the President and his advisors, who conclude that the mysterious ship’s passengers are aliens and invite them to the White House. This interaction typifies Wonka; strange and unexpected doors open for him due to his unconventional and joyous approach to life.

Furthermore, although Wonka seems to frequently (and intentionally) immerse himself in dangerous and life-threatening situations, he is nonchalant about the risks, such as when he tells Charlie that there is another elevator on the same track that they could collide with at any moment; he simply says, “I’ve always been lucky so far, my boy” (126).