JoshuaEargle

AmyCarter
5BAPLiterature
October23,2013
TheGreatAutomaticGrammatizator:AnAnalysisontheEffectofDictiontoIllustrateThematic
Principles
Prompt:Explainhowdictionisusedbytheauthortoexemplifythethemeofthestory.
RoaldDahlsrevolutionaryshortstory,TheGreatAutomaticGrammatizator,isasocial
commentaryonthepowersofindustrialmeanssuchastheeversoexpandingdevelopmentof
machineryandtheboomingworldofbigbusiness.IndemonstratingthethematicprinciplesofDahls
work,hecarefullyusesaprecisesetofwordsandphrases.Thisdiction,usedbyDahl,illustratesthe
themesoftheworkaswellashintingtowhattheymaybe.
Earlyoninthestory,Dahldisplaysoneofthefirstthemessimplybyhissubtledescriptionofthe
evidentchangeinhischaracters.Atthebeginning,ArnoldKnipeisdescribedasbeinga,tall,thin
person,whowasalsoa,littleman,thatcouldnotstandupstraight,alwaysdroopinganduntidy,with
spotsonhisjacket,andhairfallingalloverhisface.(Dahl1)Heisalsoseenasbeinguncertainandsome
whatshy,neverfullygivingMr.Bohlenadirectanswer.Although,asthestoryprogresses,Knipebegins
dominatingtheconversationsbetweenhimandMr.Bohlen.Hebecomesmuchbolderandbegins
suggesting,almostcommanding,evenmoreimpactfulideasabouttheirbusinessaswellasadorning
himselfwithasuitcaseandleavingina,largechauffeurdriveCadillac.AlongwithKnipe,Mr.Bohlen
himselfchangesasheisthenseenlaterinthestoryadornedina,bottlegreenvelvetjacket,and
allowing,hishairtocovertwothirdsofhisears.(Dahl7)
Dadhlswordchoiceindescribingthechangeinhischaracters,broughtonbytheinfluenceof
money,statesDahlsideaofmoneyspoweroverman.Dahlwasessentiallytryingtoemulatethetheme

thatmoneywillcorruptseeminglygoodmenasevidentinKnipestransformation.Knipewasoriginally
seenasbeinginnocenttotheworldofcorporatecompetitionbutthenchangestobeingacontrolling
andmanipulativeleaderofthebusinessworldallbecauseofhisnewfoundgreed.
AnotherthemethatDahlwasattemptingtoexpressinthestorywashisbeliefinhowmuch
writersdo,infact,careabouttheirwork.Thisisdonethroughthemethodinwhichhedescribesthe
writersreactionstoKnipesbusinessproposalofsigningtoKnipesagencyandultimatelygivingupthe
artofwritingforever.ThefirstwriterisseenasoriginallylisteningtoKnipesproposal.Butthen,afterhe
decided,hewasdealingwithalunatic,he,gavehimadrink,thenfirmlyshowedhimthedoor.The
secondwriterthatKnipespoketowasfarmoreaggressiveandactually,attackedhimwithalarge
metalpaperweight.Dahlcontinuestostatethatthewriterswere,apttobecomeabusive,sometimes
violentwhenhe(Knipe)approachedthem:andmorethanonceKnipewasslightlyinjuredonrounds.
(Dahl7)
Byportrayingthewritersasactingsoaggressivelytothethoughtofforeverabandoningtheir
work,Dahlwasillustratinghisthemethatwritersgreatlycareabouttheirwork,eventurningtoviolence
todefendtheirrighttofurtherpursuewriting.Also,byhavingthefirstwriterdeemKnipeasa,lunatic,
heisfurtherdemonstratinghowwritersaresodeeplyinvestedintheirworkthattheyfindthethought
ofneverwritingagainascrazy.
Incontinuingwiththestory,becauseKnipeisrejectedeversoviolentlybythegreatnamesin
writing,hebeginstotargetthelowestcommondenominatoroftheliteraryworld.Hebeginscontacting
thosewhorealizethatthemachinewritesbetterworkthantheirown.Essentially,Kniperealizedthathis
machineattractedtheeyesofthosewhowerealreadylazyanduncreative.
ThethemethatDahlwasattemptingtoillustrateherewastheideathattheproductionofnew
machineryiscausingpeopletobecomenotonlymorelethargic,butitisalsodevelopingalackof
creativityamongsteveryone.Thiswasbecause,asDahlshowed,peoplewouldratherallowamachine
tocreatetheirgoodsasthemachinewouldmostlikelydoitbetterandmoreefficiently.Becauseofthis,
peoplearebecomingmoreandmorereliantonmachinerywhichiscausingthemtolackthecreativityto
developnewideasastheydonotpossesstheinitiativetopursuesomethinggreaterthanwhatthe
machinehasalreadyproduced.
ThefinalthemetheDahlattemptedtoexecutecoincideswiththethemestatedpreviously.As
thepeoplebecomemorereliantuponmachineryandtheindustriesthatcontrolthem,themorethatthe
peoplewillbecomemindlessslaveswhichwillthenleadthemtobeentirelydependentuponthe
businessesforsurvival.Theexpressionofthisthemecanbeseenveryevidentlyinthefinalfew
paragraphsofthestory.
Intheconclusionof,TheGreatAutomaticGrammatizator,thenarratorentersthestoryand
bringsthepointofviewtohisown.Hestatesthat,manymorearehurryingtotieupwithMr.Knipe.And
allthetimethingsgetworseforthosewhohesitatetosigntheirname.Hefurthergoesontodescribe
hisownsituationas,Thisverymoment,asIsitherelisteningtothecryingofmyninestarvingchildrenin
theotherroom,Icanfeelmyownhandcreepingcloserandclosertothatgoldencontract.
Dahldecidedtodescribethenarratorssituationassuchtoemulatethedieathatpeopleare
absolutelyatthehandsoftheindustries.Heessentiallystatesthatthosewhoattempttosurvivewithout
theassistanceofbusinessessimplycannotandwillnotbecausesocietyiscompletelyhelplesswithout
them.Aswell,Dahlwasemulationtheideathatindustryentirelycontrolstheworldthathelivedin.
WithintheconfinesofRoaldDahlssocietalcriticism,TheGreatAutomaticGrammatizator,he
expresseshisbeliefsandobservationsofthecorruptedworldoftheindustrythatwritersandartists
alikemustfaceeverydaythroughtheuseofelaboratediction.Although,whatmakesthisconceptso
utterlyfrightening,socompletelymindboggling,isowclosehisscenarioistobreakingthewallofmere
fantasytoreality.Whatmakesthisstorymorethanjustapieceofliterarymeritishowplausiblethe
eventsinthestoryare,howundeniablyfeasiblethattheseeventscouldbe.Ofcourse,theseeventsare
highlyexaggerated,butsocietyisnotfarawayfromaccomplishingsuchafeatasanAutomatic
Grammatizator.Itmakesonequestion,whatwillhappenifmanbecomesaslavetothemachinesthathe
created,orisitamatterofwhen?AsDahldemonstratedinhiswork,societyisalreadythere.