The Magic Finger

The unnamed protagonist is also the novel’s narrator. She tells the reader: “I am a girl and I am eight years old” (7). An author often chooses to leave a character nameless to help readers better connect with the story. By leaving the details of the character up to readers to imagine for themselves, audiences are more inclined to identify with them. Though this narrator does not have a large role, she provide crucial touchstones throughout the narrative.

The unnamed narrator guides the reader through the story and provides a stance on the action. Dahl speaks through her and clearly states the story’s moral. The narrator says: “I can’t stand hunting. I just can’t stand it. It doesn’t seem right to me that men and boys should kill animals just for the fun they get out of it” (8). Her anger toward the Greggs becomes the catalyst for the rest of the novel’s events. It is her Magic Finger that curses the Greggs and changes them into ducks.

The narrator is filled with rage at the thought of hunting. She has repeatedly tried talking to the Greggs about their habits but has failed to change their minds.