Quote 1
"The first time," Hortensia said, "I poured half a tin of Golden Syrup on to the seat of the chair the Trunchbull was going to sit on at prayers. It was wonderful. When she lowered herself into the chair, there was a loud squelching noise similar to that made by a hippopotamus when lowering its foot into the mud on the banks of the Limpopo River. […]" (10.17)
In this conversation, Hortensia describes a glorious prank she played on the Trunchbull, during school prayers of all times. This is one brave girl. From this quote, we also learn that she's quite well read. How do we know? Well she references Just So Stories (in which there is a Limpopo River). Most likely, the only other people who would know this book are Miss Honey, Mrs. Phelps, and Matilda. And Hortensia doesn't believe Matilda has read it.
"She's mad," Hortensia said.
"But don't the parents complain?" Matilda asked.
"Would yours?" Hortensia asked. "I know mine wouldn't. She treats the mothers and fathers just the same as the children and they're all scared to death of her. I'll be seeing you some time, you two." And with that she sauntered away. (10.65-67)
The Trunchbull keeps getting scarier. She's all the more frightening because powers seem almost unlimited. No adults can stand up to her. It's one thing for children to be afraid of a grown-up. When other adults are afraid of that grown-up, too, you know things are really bad. (Why didn't any of the parents call the police? Or social services?)
Quote 3
"Only yesterday the Trunchbull caught a boy called Julius Rottwinkle eating Liquorice Allsorts during the scripture lesson and she simply picked him up by one arm and flung him clear out of the open classroom window. Our classroom is one floor up and we saw Julius Rottwinkle go sailing out over the garden like a Frisbee and landing with a thump in the middle of the lettuces. […]" (10.42)
It's almost like the Trunchbull is a legend, rather than a person. Hortensia's stories about what the Trunchbull has done to other kids make a terrifying background for the character, and they set up what will happen when the Trunchbull actually enters. Until then, it's almost like she's a mythic monster that the kids tell ghost stories about. Surely her violence can't be that bad.
Quote 4
"But the lying didn't help me in spite of the great performance I put on. The Trunchbull simply grabbed me by one ear and rushed me to The Chokey at the double and threw me inside and locked the door. That was my second all-day stretch. It was absolute torture. I was sliced and cut all over when I came out. (10.34)
Hearing her story is one of the first times we start getting a sense of what the Trunchbull is capable of. And what she's capable of, it sounds like, is Medieval Era-like torture. Being trapped in The Chokey is certainly not your typical time-out. This is something much more sinister, much more painful, and much more violent. Yikes.
Quote 5
"The Chokey," Hortensia went on, "is a very tall but very narrow cupboard. The floor is only ten inches square so you can't sit down or squat in it. You have to stand. And three of the walls are made of cement with bits of broken glass sticking out all over, so you can't lean against them. You have to stand more or less at attention all the time when you get locked up in there. It's terrible." (10.11)
Um, this is just terrifying. Also, illegal. Seriously, kids, if your headmistress ever tries to put you in the Chokey, head for the nearest phone and call the cops. Hopefully, at the end of the novel, the Trunchbull will find herself in a cell all her own.
Quote 6
"You're darn right it's like a war," Hortensia cried. "And the casualties are terrific. We are the crusaders, the gallant army fighting for our lives with hardly any weapons at all and the Trunchbull is the Prince of Darkness, the Foul Serpent, the Fiery Dragon with all the weapons at her command. It's a tough life. We all try to support each other." (10.35)
Wow, Hortensia sure knows how to create a scary description. In this passage, she's basically comparing the Trunchbull to Satan—the Prince of Darkness, the Foul Serpent, the Fiery Dragon. Satan's the first and oldest of evils, and Hortensia is saying that the Trunchbull is as bad as that. Yikes.