Charlie Bucket: A Representation of Working Class Struggles in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

 In the classic film, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the character of Charlie Bucket serves as a representation of the struggles and aspirations of the working class in capitalist societies. Through the lens of critical theory, specifically the Frankfurt and Birmingham schools of thought, we can analyze how Charlie's character embodies the themes of power, domination, and class struggle in the film.

The Frankfurt School, also known as the Institute for Social Research, was a group of German-Jewish intellectuals who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s. They developed critical theory as a means of analyzing the ways in which capitalist societies reproduce and maintain inequality and domination. One of their key insights was that culture, including literature, film, and other forms of art, plays a crucial role in this process.

Charlie Bucket is the embodiment of the working class in the film, living in poverty with his family in a small house. Despite his poverty, Charlie is shown to be a hardworking and determined young boy, always striving for a better life. He represents the struggle of the working class to survive and thrive in a capitalist society, where access to resources and opportunities is limited. Through Charlie's character, the film critiques the way in which capitalist societies reproduce and maintain inequality and domination. 

The Birmingham School, also known as the Cultural Studies Group, was a group of British intellectuals who emerged in the 1960s. They were heavily influenced by the Frankfurt School and developed a theory of cultural studies that focused on the ways in which culture and media are used to maintain and reproduce social relations of power and domination.

In the film, Charlie Bucket's character also embodies the themes of power and domination. He is shown to be at first a passive recipient of Wonka's gifts, a representation of the way in which the working class is often seen as passive and submissive in capitalist societies. However, as the film progresses, Charlie is shown to be a complex and capable individual who makes his own decisions. Through Charlie's character, the film critiques the traditional representation of the working class as passive and submissive, and instead portrays them as active agents in their own lives.

In conclusion, the character of Charlie Bucket in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory serves as a representation of the struggles and aspirations of the working class in capitalist societies. Through the lens of critical theory, specifically the Frankfurt and Birmingham schools of thought, we can see how the film uses Charlie's character to critique the ways in which capitalist societies reproduce and maintain inequality and domination. What other elements of the film do you think reflect the themes of power, domination, and class struggle?