Quote 1
Charlie hadn't moved. He hadn't even unwrapped the Golden Ticket from around the chocolate. He was standing very still, holding it tightly with both hands while the crowd pushed and shouted all around him. He felt quite dizzy. (11.20)
It's almost as if time has stood still. Charlie is totally unable to believe his own luck. And Dahl describes the moment so perfectly, it feels like we're standing right next to Charlie, jaws on the floor.
Quote 2
Everything that he had seen so far – the great chocolate river, the waterfall, the huge sucking pipes, the minty sugar meadows, the Oompa-Loompas, the beautiful pink boat, and most of all, Mr. Willy Wonka himself – had been so astonishing that he began to wonder whether there could possibly be any more astonishments left. (18.10)
Charlie hasn't had a lot of astonishments in his life. He's been hungry and poor for quite a while. So imagine how spectacular it must feel to wander among minty sugar meadows and chocolate rivers. If anyone deserves such fun, it's Charlie.
Quote 3
Charlie Bucket stared around him in astonishment. This was the craziest elevator he had ever seen. There were buttons everywhere! (25.7)
The chocolate factory is astonishing right down to the last detail. Even the elevator.
Quote 4
"I think," he said quietly, "I think... I'll have just one more of those chocolate bars. The same kind as before, please." (11.8)
Poor Charlie. This is his most foolish moment in the story. But he's such a good kid, the craziest thing he can do is buy another chocolate bar, even though he doesn't really need it, and could spend the money on something a little more healthful. If that's Charlie being foolish, he's generally in good shape.
Quote 5
[...] and what he would do, he whispered quickly to himself... he would buy one luscious bar of chocolate and eat it all up, every bit of it, right then and there... (10.27)
This is Charlie's one greedy moment. He finally gets to eat a chocolate bar all at once, just like all the other kids. We can't help but let out a little cheer for the kid.
Quote 6
Charlie felt it worst of all. And although his father and mother often went without their own share of lunch or supper so that they could give it to him, it still wasn't nearly enough for a growing boy. (1.14)
Wow. Check out how much Mr. and Mrs. Bucket love their son. They're willing to go without their own meals in order to feed their growing boy. They seem like pretty great parents.
But as soon as they heard the door opening, and heard Charlie's voice saying, "Good evening, Grandpa Joe and Grandpa Josephine, and Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina," then all four of them would suddenly sit up, and their old wrinkled faces would light up with smiles of pleasure. (2.2)
All the grandparents, too, really love Charlie. He must be an awesome kid to have around. He brings life into his rather sad house – even his old, ill grandparents light up when they see him.
"We'll share it. I want everybody to taste it." (7.26)
No wonder his parents and grandparents love him so much. Charlie, like them, wants the best for everyone. He's even willing to share his only birthday present with all of them. Shmoop can't guarantee that if we were in the same place, we wouldn't gobble that chocolate bar right up.
Quote 9
A WHOLE fifty pence!
He held it tightly between his shivering fingers, gazing down at it. It meant one thing to him at that moment, only one thing. It meant FOOD. (10.25-26)
The average kid might see a fifty-pence piece and think of toys, trinkets, pinball, or candy. What does Charlie think of? FOOD. Clearly, he's not your typical kid. And clearly he's got bigger problems than the Veruca Salts of the world.
Quote 10
And now, very calmly, with that curious wisdom that seems to come so often to small children in time of hardship, he began to make little changes here and there in some of the things he did, so as to save his strength. (10.15)
Curious indeed. Here, Charlie behaves more like an adult: he's calm, cool, and collected while facing some tough times. But Dahl is quick to point out that he's a small child; and that fact is actually what helps him survive.