Quote 4
"But the lying didn't help me in spite of the great performance I put on. The Trunchbull simply grabbed me by one ear and rushed me to The Chokey at the double and threw me inside and locked the door. That was my second all-day stretch. It was absolute torture. I was sliced and cut all over when I came out. (10.34)
Hearing her story is one of the first times we start getting a sense of what the Trunchbull is capable of. And what she's capable of, it sounds like, is Medieval Era-like torture. Being trapped in The Chokey is certainly not your typical time-out. This is something much more sinister, much more painful, and much more violent. Yikes.
Quote 5
"The Chokey," Hortensia went on, "is a very tall but very narrow cupboard. The floor is only ten inches square so you can't sit down or squat in it. You have to stand. And three of the walls are made of cement with bits of broken glass sticking out all over, so you can't lean against them. You have to stand more or less at attention all the time when you get locked up in there. It's terrible." (10.11)
Um, this is just terrifying. Also, illegal. Seriously, kids, if your headmistress ever tries to put you in the Chokey, head for the nearest phone and call the cops. Hopefully, at the end of the novel, the Trunchbull will find herself in a cell all her own.
Quote 6
"You're darn right it's like a war," Hortensia cried. "And the casualties are terrific. We are the crusaders, the gallant army fighting for our lives with hardly any weapons at all and the Trunchbull is the Prince of Darkness, the Foul Serpent, the Fiery Dragon with all the weapons at her command. It's a tough life. We all try to support each other." (10.35)
Wow, Hortensia sure knows how to create a scary description. In this passage, she's basically comparing the Trunchbull to Satan—the Prince of Darkness, the Foul Serpent, the Fiery Dragon. Satan's the first and oldest of evils, and Hortensia is saying that the Trunchbull is as bad as that. Yikes.