Great Scott! Gadzooks! – Roald Dahl
Literal Comprehension: Television is very bad for children, so the speaker says the parents should never allow their kids to go near it. It will be better if they do not install a television in their home at all. The speaker reports that he found children watching television in every house he went to. Children, in fact, were hypnotized by television, and they could be seen lolling and lounging about in front of the television. Television, of course, keeps kids busy and still, and lets the parents be free to do the household jobs. However, the harm television does to kids is far more serious. Television destroys their creativity and the capacity to understand anything that requires imagination. Some might think that they will have nothing to entertain their kids in the absence of television. However, the speaker reminds such people that the children of the past time used to entertain themselves by reading different kinds of books. So, parents, who are concerned about the future of their kids, should throw away television and motivate their children to read books.
Interpretation: This poem highlights the harmful effects of television on kids. Particularly, it seems to suggest that television has two types of harmful effects on them. First, watching television is evidently harmful as it kills their valuable time. They waste their precious time in front of the television in place of doing homework and/or other more important jobs. Secondly, television has a seductive effect on kids as they cannot stop once they start watching it. Just like someone addicted to drugs, watching television becomes the kids’ addiction, and they find it difficult to save themselves from it. Such a habit ultimately makes them unfit for any kind of creative and constructive work, and their future will thus be completely ruined.
Critical Thinking: This poem exaggerates the negative aspects of television. Television, in fact, is harmful if kids develop a habit of watching it day and night. However, one can also use television to teach children more useful lessons. Many programs on television are not only entertaining but also enlightening and inspiring. A program on wildlife, for example, can be as useful for the children as a visit to the zoo. Children’s imagination may be increased by making them watch programs based on fantasy and imagination. The programs on history and space exploration can make the kids more enthusiastic about their studies. The more important thing, however, is the fact that television is just a gadget, which in itself is neither good nor bad. It is the way we use it that makes a gadget either good or bad.
Assimilation: Although I do not agree with the poet’s idea about television wholesale, I still find his point worth reflecting on. Television has in fact become a threat to the children’s future these days. In every house one goes, he or she can see children stuck to television almost without exception. Many television programs are broadcasted as a serial, and children never fail to watch every episode of such programs. Children also learn about the different varieties of junk food from television commercials. When they learn about such food, parents cannot find it possible to withstand their children’s demands for it. I think that children watch television at the same time-consuming junk food. It brings the overweight problem as well as other health problems to them. Therefore, I will, like the poet, also advise the parents not to install a television in their home.
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