How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The BFG raised his great head proudly in the air. “I is a very honorable giant,” he said. “I would rather be chewing up rotsome snozzcumbers than snitching things from other people.” (8.53)
You’ve got to admire a giant with principles. The BFG not only doesn’t believe in eating humans; he doesn’t even believe in stealing from them. We have to admit, were we in his shoes, we might snatch a few less disgusting vegetables from time to time.
Quote #2
“Human beans is killing each other much quicker than giants is doing it.”
“But they don’t eat each other,” Sophie said.
“Giants isn’t eating each other either,” the BFG said. “Nor is giants killing each other. Giants is not very lovely, but they is not killing each other. Nor is crockadowndillies killing other crockadowndillies. Nor is pussy-cats killing pussy-cats.”
“They kill mice,” Sophie said.
“Ah, but they is not killing their own kind,” the BFG said. “Human beans is the only animals that is killing their own kind.” (11.67-71)
This conversation kinda sneaks up on you, doesn’t it? One minute, the BFG and Sophie are having a farting contest and the next, they’re talking about the ethics of war. By working these ethics questions so casually into the story, Dahl really gets his readers thinking. He doesn’t tell them what to believe, exactly. He just points out some facts, and doesn’t let you get away with taking those facts for granted.
Quote #3
“That is what the little piggy-wig is saying every day,” the BFG answered. “He is saying, “I has never done any harm to the human bean so why should he be eating me?” “Oh dear,” Sophie said. “The human beans is making rules to suit themselves,” the BFG went on. “But the rules they is making do not suit the little piggie-wiggies. Am I right or left?” “Right,” Sophie said. “Giants is also making rules. Their rules is not suiting the human beans. Everybody is making his own rules to suit himself.” (11.79-83)
What the BFG is telling Sophie (in his own, oh-so-special words) is that the rules of society are relative. The other giants don’t think it’s strange to eat humans, just like humans consider it normal to eat animals. (This is easy for the BFG to say, because he only eats a single vegetable. He’s never even tasted bacon, for crying out loud.)
Quote #4
“But you don’t like it that those beastly giants are eating humans every night, do you?” Sophie said. “I do not,” the BFG answered firmly. “One right is not making two lefts.” (11.84-85)
Pay attention, because what the BFG means (when you get through all the left turns) is a moral idea that will come back later in the book. None of the main characters in The BFG believe in an “eye for an eye.” In other words, even though humans do bad things, they don’t deserve to be eaten by giants.
Quote #5
“He’s still asleep,” the BFG whispered. “The terrible trogglehumping nightmare is beginning to hit him.” “Serves him right,” Sophie said. She could feel no sympathy for this great brute who ate children as though they were sugar-lumps. (13.31-32)
Okay, so it may not be an eye for an eye, but Sophie is okay with a nightmare for some bullying. In other words, she does believe that some kind of punishment can be valuable. Specifically, she thinks a giant who eats people every night deserves to get a few nightmares. Fair enough.
Quote #6
“One night,” he said, “I is blowing a dream through a window and I sees this book lying on the little boy’s bedroom table. I is wanting so very badly, you understand. But I is refusing to steal it. I would never do that.” “So how did you get it?” Sophie asked. “I borrowed it,” said the BFG, smiling a little. “Just for a short time I borrowed it.” (14.96-98)
The BFG is a good giant, but he’s not a saint. Clearly, he’s okay with bending his rules from time to time. Books aren’t vegetables, after all.
Quote #7
“I don’t want to give the Queen a nightmare,” Sophie said. “I is thinking,” the BFG said, “that your Queen will be happy to have a nightmare if having a nightmare is going to save a lot of human beans from being gobbled up by filthsome giants. Is I right or is I left?” “I suppose you’re right,” Sophie said. “It’s got to be done.” (16.27-29)
Nightmares are taken very seriously in this book, and poor Sophie doesn’t want to put the Queen through any pain, even if the pain is only until she wakes up. So the BFG pulls out another right-and-left (er, wrong) lesson: that their end goal (saving people’s lives) trumps leaving the Queen to sleep in peace.
Quote #8
“I do not approve of murder,” the Queen said. “But they are murderers themselves!” cried the Head of the Army. “That is no reason why we should follow their example,” said the Queen. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” (21.11-13)
No wonder the Queen and BFG get along. They both have the same sense of right and left. Not to mention right and wrong. These two tell you a lot about the book’s moral compass, because they don’t believe in sinking to the giants’ level, no matter how much better off the human world would be without them.
Quote #9
“That’s all very well,” said the Head of the Army. “But how do we get the brutes back here? We can’t load fifty-foot giants on to trucks! Shoot ‘em on the spot, that’s what I say!” (21.26)
Yikes. The Head of the Army is actually making the argument here that they should shoot the giants because it would be easier. So much for the Queen’s (and the BFG’s) moral values.
Quote #10
The Heads of the Army and the Air Force drove forward once again in their jeep. “Her Majesty will be very pleased with me,” the Head of the Army said. “I shall probably get a medal. What’s the next move?”
“Now you is all driving over to my cave to load up my bottles of dreams,” the BFG said.
“We can’t waste time with that rubbish,” the Army General said. (21.136-138)
If the Head of the Army were a giant, he’d probably be the Bloodbottler. Harsh, maybe, but really, the guy only thinks of himself. First, he takes credit for the work the BFG and Sophie did, and then, he can’t even be bothered to give the one who actually trapped the giants time to load up his collection. (Luckily, Sophie makes him.) Someone’s in line for a trogglehumper, that’s for sure.