Mrs. Wormwood

Mrs. Wormwood is Matilda’s mother. She is highly concerned with appearance (constantly dying her hair platinum blonde) and prizes looks over intelligence and substance. She is inattentive of her children and often leaves Matilda alone in the house while she goes to play bingo.

Mr. Wormwood

Mr. Wormwood is Matilda’s father. He is a neglectful father who hates books and is an extremely dishonest businessman. Mr. Wormwood is an arrogant and ratty man, and he shows no interest in his daughter. Because of his fraudulent business dealings, Mr. Wormwood is forced to flee the country with his family, but he leaves Matilda behind.

Bruce Bogtrotter

Bruce is a fellow student of Matilda’s. He is an extremely rotund boy and is forced by the Trunchbull to consume a giant chocolate cake in front of the entire school when she accuses him of stealing her food.

Lavender

Lavender is one of Matilda’s new-found friends in her school. She is extremely small for her age and has deep brown eyes and a fringe. Much like Matilda, she is very brave and mischievous. She plans an elaborate prank on the Trunchbull that is very successful.

Mrs. Phelps

The village librarian. She means well, but she often treats Matilda like a little girl, having trouble understanding how such a small child could be reading books outside the children's section in the library. She does her best to help Matilda pursue her love of reading.

Michael Wormwood

Michael is Matilda's older brother, who is favored by their parents because he enjoys watching television and generally does not care about reading or academics, just like them. 

Fred

Matilda's neighborhood friend who owns a parrot. Matilda borrows Fred's parrot to use in a trick against her family.

Hortensia

A ten-year-old student at Crunchem Hall, who tells Matilda and Lavender everything they need to know about Miss Trunchbull .

Amanda Thripp

A child at Crunchem Prep who comes to school with braided pigtails. 

Nigel Hicks

A spunky boy in Miss Honey's class who initially gets picked on by the Trunchbull because his hands are filthy and unwashed.

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Amanda Thripp

A child at Crunchem Prep who comes to school with braided pigtails. 

Nigel Hicks

A spunky boy in Miss Honey's class who initially gets picked on by the Trunchbull because his hands are filthy and unwashed.

Prudence

A girl in Miss Honey's class who spells "difficulty" correctly on the first try when asked to by Miss Trunchbull.

Rupert

A boy in Miss Honey's class who is lifted up by his hair when he cannot correctly solve two times seven.

Eric Ink

A boy in Miss Honey's class who is lifted up by his ears by Miss Trunchbull when he cannot correctly spell "what."

Miss Plimsoll

The teacher in the highest form, where Matilda is moved after Mr. Trilby becomes Head Teacher.

Magnus

Miss Honey's father, who died mysteriously when she was five and left her in the care of her cruel Aunt Trunchbull.

Wilfred

A boy in Miss Honey's class who is tormented by Miss Trunchbull with a number of hard math problems he cannot answer, until she is distracted by the chalk at the blackboard beginning to move on its own.

Mr. Trilby

The Deputy Head of Crunchem Prep, who takes Miss Trunchbull's place when she disappears. He is much kinder and more rational than she was.