31 pages • 1 hour read
Roald DahlEsio Trot
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1990A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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Social Context: The Loneliness of Older Adults
Esio Trot was Dahl’s final book, published just months before he died. Dahl was an elderly man when he wrote this story about older people and their loneliness. Dahl, while a beloved and celebrated author, was frequently lonely, even among other people. Esio Trot serves as a lonely, elderly man’s meditation on what loneliness is like for aging adults.
Dahl had a troubled personal life, marked by relatively few peaceful periods. He had at least one extramarital affair, was frequently in feuds with publishers and other authors, and experienced great personal losses. He seemed resistant to tranquility, and there were times when he sought conflict for reasons that may have been mysterious even for him. This created greater loneliness at times because he could alienate people quickly, doing a lot of harm with few words and impulsive reactions.
Esio Trot was one of his only books to feature adults who were neither tyrannical nor incompetent. He was more likely to create adult characters like Mrs. Trunchbull from Matilda or the horrible aunts from James and the Giant Peach than Mr. Hoppy and Mrs. Silver. The story still contains Dahl’s trademark irreverence and some questionable dealings, which reflect his unapologetic love of mischief. For instance, Mr. Hoppy wins the love of his life, but not by overcoming his shyness and courting her. Instead, he steals her beloved pet, replaces it, and never tells her. Nevertheless, Esio Trot is sentimental in ways that most of Dahl’s novels are not. Good always prevails in Dahl’s children’s stories, but the way to the good is often murky.
Critical Context: Censorship Controversy
Esio Trot was the subject of some controversy in February 2023, when Puffin Books voted to amend the text. They affirmed that the changes would be made for the sake of sensitivity and to reach as many readers as possible. For instance, the publisher removed a description of Mrs. Silver’s attractiveness. In the original text, Mrs. Silver changes her last name after the marriage, taking the surname of Hoppy, but this was cut as well. Finally, a passage in which Mrs. Silver says that she would be “[his] slave for life” if Mr. Hoppy helped with Alfie was changed to say that he would be her “hero.” Not all of Dahl’s publishers complied with these amendments. For instance, his publishers in the United States and France retained the original text.
Notable authors, politicians, actors, and other visible figures denounced the changes. Dahl had clashed publicly with famed author Salman Rushdie, but despite their enmity, Rushdie was one of the loudest voices decrying the decision.
Dahl was a polarizing figure to many people, including some of his loved ones. However, he received adoration from his young readers, and he remains one of the most influential authors to have ever written for children. His books have been adapted into many movies, TV programs, musicals, and plays. Dahl also boasted an extensive body of work for adults, although it never received the same critical acclaim as his writing for young readers.
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