Billy and the Minpins

Compare Roald Dahl’s writings—and Billy and the Minpins in particular—to the work of other English writers whose works embrace the absurd. In what ways does Dahl both conform to and transcend the conventions of humorous writing?

Analyze the descriptions that Billy’s mother provides of the Forest of Sin. Why does she give the forest this name, and what broader ideas might the forest represent?

Billy is never punished for going into the Forest of Sin, and his disobedience is never discovered. What larger message might Dahl intend to convey through this positive outcome to a forbidden adventure?