The protagonist and hero of the story, young Matilda is polite, kind, and absolutely brilliant. She teaches herself to read at age three, and by age five she’s read over a dozen great classics of literature; she’s also good at doing arithmetic in her head. These features make Matilda something of a classical hero: a character who is as ordinary as their peers but has one special ability to set them apart. In Matilda’s case, her power is her mind, whether through intelligence or telekinesis. She also shares other features commonly associated with heroes: a humble background and a sense of being an outsider.

Another common literary heroic trait is to be orphaned. Matilda has parents, but emotionally, they have entirely abandoned her. However, village librarian Mrs. Phelps helps four-year-old Matilda read children’s books, then realizes that the little girl is wildly precocious, so she curates a list of classic novels for Matilda to read. Mrs. Phelps is the first adult who cares about Matilda’s growing mind, and her helpful suggestions give the girl a chance to escape her stifling home life. It is no accident that while the Wormwoods openly belittle women’s intellectual capacity, it is two women who are the vessels of transformation and growth for Matilda’s mind: Mrs.