Character Analysis
Our resident "toothpaste cap-screwer," (1.12), Mr. Bucket works hard to feed his family. And we mean hard. He spends all day at the toothpaste factory, and when he loses that job, he spends all day shoveling snow in the neighborhood. This does not sound like a fun way to make a living. Frankly, it sounds downright awful.
So why does Mr. Bucket do it? Well, we think it's because he loves his family so darn much. Mr. Bucket is always making sacrifices for his family. He offers Charlie his share of every meal, and lets his father, Grandpa Joe, visit Willy Wonka's factory in his place. He seems to genuinely care about his son. He assures his family that not all children behave as badly as the other winners of the Golden Ticket, and we think – tell us if you agree – that he's got Charlie in mind when he says this. (8.18).
One last thing we've noticed about Mr. Bucket: he always seems to be the one who's delivering the news to the family. Twice, he comes in with the evening newspaper, which he reads aloud to the family. And when Charlie finally wins his very own Golden Ticket, Mr. Bucket is the one who reads it to everyone. We're not sure why this is, but we think it might have something to do with Mr. Bucket being the man of the house. After all, he's the only one with a job, and delivering the news is one way he can fill that fatherly role.
Timeline