Language study - British culture (Roald Dahl, focus questions)

Revision cards about Roald Dahl -> be sure to look at the summary and the PowerPoint!

In which town in England can you visit the R.D. museum?

You can visit the Roald Dahl museum in Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. You can visit his writing hut, look at his manuscripts and personal artifacts

What is the name of his house, the place where he wrote his novels?

The name of his house is Gipsy house

Who was his first wife and where did she come from

The name of his first wife was Particia Neal. She was an American actress. They married in 1953 and had 5 children. She suffered a series of strokes in 1965 but had a full recovery thanks to Roald’s support. They divorced in 1983 after 30 years of marriage.

Give the names of all 5 of his children

His children were: Olivia, Tessa, Theo, Ophelia and Lucy

What happend in 1960, 1962 and what happend to his wife in California?

1) 1960: Theo got hit by a taxicab in New York and got left-brain damage. This resulted in water in his brain

2) 1962: Olivia died from measles which resulted in an inflammation in her brain

3) Patricia Neal suffered a stroke resulting in her being paralyzed. She made a full recovery

How did he become a children’s writer?

He was inspired by his children who he made stories for. He first established himself as a children’s writer in 1961 when he published ‘James and the Giant Peach’.

In which novel does he expres his dislike/obsession with beards?

In the story ‘The Twits’

Who was his second wife? What was the age difference? How did his life change when he was married again?

His second wife was named Felicity Crosland. Their age difference was 21 years. They had an affair when he was still married to Patricia Neal. They asked their daughter Tessa to keep it quiet which was very difficult for her. When he married Felicity he became happy again.