To reflect:
Robert C. Edwards once said, "Don’t place too much confidence in the man who boasts of being as honest as the day is long. Wait until you meet him at night."
This is very similar to Roald Dahl’s opinion of human nature. He feels that humans are two faced and act nice on the outside, but we can never know what is going on in their minds. In each of Roald Dahl’s stories, there is always a connection made with human nature. He conveys that human nature is the same. They are greedy, deceitful, or dishonest. The twists that Dahl creates in the ending of almost every short story, usually surprises the reader, because it was most unexpected. His endings are very unpredictable and can leave the reader in suspense. Dahl has many ways in writing his short stories, which usually follow the same plot line. He also uses a lot of figurative language, animating the events, and making it easier for the reader to imagine the setting. Most of his stories are set around the 1950s and either in London or New York. There is always an atmosphere created in each story, allowing the reader to feel like they are in the character’s position, it also allows the reader to react in a certain way to the situations that occur.
(cited from internet source)
“The sound machine is a catalyst but readers need to decide for themselves just what it does for (or to) Klausner. Has the apparatus actually provided access to the realm of the ultrasonic and allowed him to listen in on Nature? Or has the device triggered (or perhaps uncovered) lunacy? With its emphasis on a strange scientist preoccupied with Nature, the tale is reminiscent of the “mad scientist" stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. With an obsessive main character and his heightened sense of hearing, the tale also echoes Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart “The Sound Machine" slyly admonishes readers that we hear what we want to.” (Cited from internet source.)
Roald Dahl has the following advice for his readers:
Do’s:
1. Hold steadfastly to your convictions without fear.
2. Respect people even if they hold different views.
3. Pursue the truth even if you are alone.
4. Accept and admit the truth.
5. Respect all life forms and love the environment.
Don’t’s:
1. Do not reject/ostracise/ridicule/dismiss people who think differently from you.
2. Do not label people who are different.
