The BFG

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Your Dream Jar”

In this activity, students will write a dream that the BFG would keep in his jar.

Imagine that the BFG visits you and catches one of your dreams. Write a synopsis of your dream, as well as what the BFG and Sophie would think of it. Use the following questions to shape your writing:

• What type of dream is it? What makes it positive or negative?
• Who are the characters?
• What is the setting?
• What is the main conflict and overall plot?
• What is the climax and resolution?
•  What does this dream look like in the jar?
• How would the BFG and Sophie respond to this dream?

After drafting your piece, share it in a presentation with your classmates, and then reflect on the following questions: Do you and/or your classmates’ dreams contain any of the novel’s themes of The Victory of the Underdog, The Power of Friendship, and/or The Joy of Silliness and Imagination? If so, how?

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to approach the motif of dreams within the context of a creative writing exercise. One way to approach this Activity would be to begin with a class-generated dream; you might ask students whether you should start with a dream or a nightmare, and then you could create a story together using various suggestions from different students. This model would provide more structured guidance for students who struggle with organization and time management.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an artistic addition to this Activity, invite students to draw and/or design an image of their dream in the jar. They could then share this artistic rendition in their presentations and discuss the choices they made. More advanced creative students and individuals with strong artistic talents may wish to take this exercise a step further and create a comic strip detailing their dream.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Compare the BFG’s life before and after his adventure with Sophie.

• Why do the BFG and Sophie become such good friends? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 moments in the text that demonstrate their growing friendship and explain why.
• In your concluding sentence, discuss how Dahl uses their story to convey The Power of Friendship.

2. Consider the variety of settings in the novel.

• Which of the settings are magical, and which are more realistic? (topic sentence)
• Explain how these settings function in terms of plot development and characterization.
• In your concluding sentence, consider what these settings say about The Joy of Silliness and Imagination.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Sophie and the BFG operate as marginalized and friendless characters in their respective worlds. What are each of their respective backgrounds, and how does this contribute to their marginalization? In which ways does their social isolation allow for them to make a connection? How does the text suggest that isolation can encourage positive personal growth and development? Explain.

2. Throughout the novel, Dahl inserts both a patriotic point of view as well as several derogatory references to other nationalities. Does the novel’s Anglocentric (i.e., pro-England) point of view affect the story when considered through a modern lens? Why or why not?

3. Consider the trajectory of the giants throughout the novel. How do they experience a severe restriction of movement? Do you think their punishment is just? Why or why not? Develop your answer with specific references to the text.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words best describes how Sophie feels when the Giant originally takes her?

A) Afraid

B) Delighted

C) Disgusted

D) Apathetic

2. In Chapter 2, after the BFG takes Sophie to his cave, he announces, “‘What has us got here?’ His booming voice roll[s] around the walls of the cave like a burst of thunder.” Which of the following literary terms is used in this quote?

A) Allusion

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Simile

3. How do giants determine which humans to eat?

A) Based on their nationality

B) Based on their gender

C) Based on their age

D) Based on their height

4. Which of the following words best describes the temperament of Mrs. Clonker?

A) Doting

B) Gentle

C) Scornful

D) Patient

5. Which of the following senses is heightened for the BFG?

A) Sight

B) Smell

C) Hearing

D) Taste

6. Which of the following words best describes the vegetation of Giant Country?

A) Delicious

B) Delectable

C) Succulent

D) Revolting

7. Which of the following sentences best describes how the other giants treat the BFG?

A) They adore him.

B) They help him.

C) They praise him.

D) They bully him.

8. Which of the following conclusions can be made regarding the BFG and Sophie’s discussion of “whizzpopping” in Chapter 10?

A) Many of the social norms for humans are opposite in Giant Country.

B) Human beings and giants feel the same way about burping.

C) Both human beings and giants drink water.

D) Human beings adore fizzy drinks, while giants despise them.

9. In their conversation about the way human beings treat each other, the BFG says, “‘I is not understanding human beans at all […] You is a human bean and you is saying it is grizzling and horrigust for giants to be eating human beans. Right or left?’ ‘Right,’ Sophie [says].” Based on the context of this quote, which of the following phrases best captures the meaning of the phrase “Right or left” from Chapter 11?

A) Whether they should run to the right direction or the left direction

B) Whether his statement is true or false

C) Whether he should use his right hand or left hand to catch dreams

D) Whether Sophie prefers to be in his right pocket or left pocket

10. In Chapter 12, after the BFG catches a nightmare, Sophie says, “‘It’s wiggling all over the place! […] It’s fighting to get out! It’ll bash itself to bits!’ ‘The nastier the dream, the angrier it is getting when it is in prison,’ the BFG [says].” Which of the following literary terms do the BFG and Sophie use in this quote?

A) Allusion

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Simile

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the narration style of the novel? Who are the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s), and why?

2. Dahl develops a language specific for giants. What is the effect of this language on the characterization of the giants? Provide 2-3 examples from the text.