Name:

Class:

Year 7 English

Questions on Matilda
(Reading)

Questions to practice essay

writing
(Writing)

Use the chapter summaries and class notes

which are also on Edunation to help you.
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 Essay writing questions
Using the chapter summaries and analysis provided to you in
class and digitally on Edunation, answer these essay questions
using P.E.E.L paragraphs.
For each question you should write 4 P.E.E.L paragraphs. We
learned about P.E.E.L paragraphs extensively on 16/01/2024 and
you can find the uploaded lesson on Edunation.

1)How does the writer use the theme

of punishment in Matilda?

2)How does the writer use the theme

of justice in Matilda?

3)How does the writer use the theme

of good versus evil in Matilda?
‘The Chokey, a small closet with walls covered in broken glass
and sharp nails, where Miss Trunchbull puts kids to punish them’

‘The chalk, floating in mid-air, writes a message from Magnus to

Agatha, telling her to give Jenny her house back, or he would
come and get her’

‘Matilda applies superglue to the inside rim’ of her father’s hat

‘empties most of her father’s hair tonic out and fills it with her
mother’s blonde hair dye’

How does the writer use the theme

of punishment in Matilda?
The writer uses the theme of punishment through the
character Matilda who ensures her father gets the
punishment he deserves. This is evident when Matilda
‘empties most of her father’s hair tonic out and fills it with
her mother’s blonde hair-dye’. It is very clear that Mr
Wormwood severely cares about his appearance and
drastically changing his hair colour is equal to shattering his
self-image. This highlights how Matilda uses the theme of
punishment as her way of obtaining justice.

COPY THIS AND LABEL THE

PARAGRAPH USING P.E.E.L
‘The Chokey, a small closet with walls covered in broken glass and
sharp nails, where Miss Trunchbull puts kids to punish them’

‘The chalk, floating in mid-air, writes a message from Magnus to

Agatha, telling her to give Jenny her house back, or he would come
and get her’

‘Matilda applies superglue to the inside rim’ of her father’s hat

‘empties most of her father’s hair tonic out and fills it with her
mother’s blonde hair dye’

How does the writer use the theme

of punishment in Matilda?
The writer uses the theme of punishment in Matilda through
the character Matilda, who continuously seeks justice
throughout the story. This is evident when ‘Matilda applies
superglue to the inside rim’ of her father’s hat after
discovering he is a conman. Matilda takes charge here in
delivering a punishment she feels her father deserves by
purposely ruining his hair. Furthermore, ‘superglue’ is used
for much tougher materials than human skin, like metal,
which emphasises how brutal Matilda is when giving
punishments. This highlights how the theme of punishment
is present in Matilda.
COPY THIS AND LABEL THE
PARAGRAPH USING P.E.E.L