Student Question

What were the Wormwood parents' five complaints about Matilda?

Quick answer:

The Wormwood parents' five complaints about Matilda are that she is a "chatterbox," spoiled for requesting books over television, "stupid" for not understanding her father's business, wasting time with her love of reading, and a "cheat" and "liar" for performing math calculations in her head.

Expert Answers

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Despite her intelligence and capabilities, Matilda is not looked upon fondly by her own parents. Early in the book, it becomes clear that Matilda's parents feel she is a "chatterbox." They do not appreciate her rich vocabulary and would prefer that she remain silent. A second complaint of her father's is that Matilda is spoiled because she requests a book instead of watching television. A third complaint Mr. Wormwood has is that he views Matilda as too "stupid" to understand how he makes money from selling used cars. Fourth, Mr. Wormwood does not appreciate Matilda's love of reading. He refers to her book as "trash" and sees reading as a waste of time. Finally, Mr. Wormwood sees Matilda as a "cheat" and a "liar" because she is able to perform math calculations in her head.

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