The BFG

Roald Dahl’s patriotism for Britain’s Queen and country is evident in The BFG. When Sophie is thinking of an adult who epitomizes selflessness and goodness, she suggests the Queen. Sophie’s patriotism is evident in her “aghast” reaction to the BFG’s smiling admission that the Fleshlumpeater longs to eat the Queen (117). The Queen, undoubtedly modeled off Queen Elizabeth II, who was the reigning monarch at the time of Dahl’s writing and publishing of the novel, is represented as a capable and poised world leader who ably deals with the threat of the nine man-eating giants. Britain is celebrated for their intervention at the end of the novel, with countries from around the world sending gifts of thanks. The novel draws on the conception of Britain as the powerful center of the world, possessing the greatest minds and strongest forces.

Similarly, the British Army and Air Force are represented as a capable, world-class force composed of elite soldiers. This glowing depiction may have been inspired by Dahl’s own time serving in the Royal Air Force from 1939-1942 (Perry, BP. “Roald Dahl and ‘The Irregulars’, the British Spy Ring in 40s America.