How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
She didn't in the least mind being accused of having done something she had actually done. She could see the justice of that. It was, however, a totally new experience for her to be accused of a crime that she definitely had not committed. (14.16)
Matilda has a finely tuned moral code of her own, which she's developed entirely on her own. She'll stand up for her own sins (more than Lavender's willing to do), but she won't stand by while she's blamed for another person's bad deeds. For Matilda, it's less about good versus evil and more about what's fair.
Quote #5
"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.
Quote #6
"I know what you're thinking," Matilda said. "You're thinking that the aunt killed him and made it look as though he'd done it himself."
"I am not thinking anything," Miss Honey said. "One must never think things like that without proof." (17.38-9)
Okay, we were going about our merry business thinking the Trunchbull was a mean old tyrant. But now she's a murderer, too? Could this woman get any worse?