How Does Roald Dahl's Life Affected His Works

Would you have thought that a little boy who was bad at spelling and not the best student would make a career of being a world renowned children’s author? Roald Dahl, a Norwegian born writer, is that little boy. Dahl, who grew up and lived in Europe, had a tragedy stricken life. These tragedies had a big effect on some of his books. In a children’s book, Danny the Champion of the World, one tragedy, a parent dying young, is introduced. Overall, the events in Dahl’s life greatly affected the style of his writing.

Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916 and he was named after a famous explorer from his hometown of Norway. Roald Dahl was born to Sofie and Harold Dahl in South Wales. Dahl was, “the apple”, because he was his mother’s favorite out of all six of her children. Sadly, his sister died at seven because of a rare case of appendicitis that is not specified and because of this, his broken hearted father also dies. As you can see, Roald’s father’s death had a big impact on the book, Danny the Champion of the World.

When young Roald started to go to school, he did not like it that

much. Dahl was not the best student and he especially was bad at spelling. He went to Saint Peter’s Preparatory School and stayed until he pulled a prank and got canned and his mother transferred him. When he moved to a boarding school called Repton, the teachers did not think highly of him and he was terribly homesick. One of his teachers said, “so persistently wrote words meaning the exact opposite of what he obviously intended,” talking about Roald’s writing. Repton was lonely and that frightened Roald, plus there were more rules, and more caning. Even though he wasn't the best student and not the best writer, he still proved that you can be good at something you weren’t already good at.
Traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the country of Tanzania, Roald had many great adventures in his lifetime. Dahl traveled across the Atlantic and Newfoundland Oceans with a group of boys called the Public Schools Exploring Society. He later got a job with Shell Oil Company and was transferred to Tanzania and goes to Dar Es Salaam, where he meets a lifetime friend, Mdisho. Roald taught Mdisho how to write and read and Mdisho taught Roald to speak Swahili. Dahl had many adventures in his lifetime, meeting people, and exploring new lands.
In 1939, World War II broke out and Dahl was in on the action. Roald Dahl began training to be a pilot for the British Air Force and had training in Iraq and only three out of sixteen of his training mates survived the war. When Roald was going to meet someone, he crashed and he barely survived. Doctors do not know if he would survive, and he had terrible headaches. During this time of his life, he was in bed rest leaving him time to start his writing career. From becoming a fighter pilot in World War II, to almost losing his life, Roald Dahl has began his writing career.
During the fifties, Roald Dahl started to settle down, have a family, and experience some tragedies in his life.

Dahl married an American actress, Patricia Neal in 1953 and had five kids, Olivia, Tessa, Theo, Ophelia, and Lucy. Sadly, three month old Theo was struck by a cab and ran very high fevers in the hospital. Roald’s eldest daughter, Olivia died at seven because of a rare case of measles. Roald was heartbroken and scared because his father died of heartbreak when his daughter was seven. A couple years later, a tragedy strikes again, his wife has a stroke and Roald helps her get better. Roald was also a struggling writer and he couldn't get his act together. Eventually, Roald started to get jobs writing for magazines and put sixteen stories together to publish a book. Even with many tragedies going on in Dahl’s life, he still started his writing

career.
Roald Dahl had a great number of influences from his childhood and schoolboy days. His mother, Sophie was a great story teller who told Roald about monsters, fairies, and many other things. Roald also kept a secret diary proving he was a writer in his early days as well. When Roald went to Saint Peter’s, this time is mentioned in his autobiography, BOY:Tales of Childhood. Dahl also went to an island in Norway every summer and grew up with nature all around him, so naturally, nature was an inspiration. When Roald Dahl went to Repton, he was right next to the chocolate factory of Cadbury, hence, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.