Power, Family, and Chocolate

Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) is all about power and control. Using themes from both Marx and Foucault gives a better understanding of what power really means in the film. 

Firstly, the film focuses on five very different children who are all symbols of power in some way: the gluttonous Augustus Gloop, the competitive Violet Beauregarde, the know-it-all Mike Teavee, the spoiled Veruca Salt, and Charlie Bucket who as Willy Wonka says is “just lucky to be here.” Other than Charlie, all of the children won their golden tickets due to the positions they hold. They are all spoiled children who could afford to eat as much chocolate as possible to find the ticket, unlike Charlie who gets a single chocolate bar every year on his birthday. Children are not usually thought to be symbols of power, but these children have all of the control within their families. For instance, until the end of the film Veruca had never been told “no” in her life. Her father even going so far as to make his factory workers look for a golden ticket until they find it. 

In his article “The Subject of Power”, Foucault discuss another system of power other than capitalism which he calls pastoral power. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka represents the idea of pastoral power. Among other things, pastoral power is focussed on getting certain individuals to salvation, for example religiosity. Foucault discusses four aspects of pastoral power: 

1. It is a form of power whose ultimate aim is to assure individual

salvation in the next world.

2. Pastoral power is not merely a form of power which commands; it

must also be prepared to sacrifice itself for the life and salvation of the

flock. Therefore, it is different from royal power, which demands a

sacrifice from its subjects to save the throne.

3. It is a form of power which does not look after just the whole

community but each individual in particular, during his entire life.

4. Finally, this form of power cannot be exercised without knowing

the inside of people's minds, without exploring their souls, without

making them reveal their innermost secrets. It implies a knowledge of

the conscience and an ability to direct it. 

Willy Wonka’s ultimate aim is to find an heir to inherit his chocolate factory based on ideals that he himself sets. Salvation in this sense is becoming the owner of the chocolate factory and each child is tested to see who is worthy of receiving this salvation. Wonka is willing to sacrifice his factory now so that he can be assured that it will continue after he is gone. Wonka has an almost god-like sense about him and he has the ability to seemingly “know the inside of people’s minds” whether through his own senses or with the help of his employees, i.e. the squirrels knowing Veruca is a bad nut. There are only two people that Wonka misreads: Charlie and his own father. 

Ultimately it is Charlie that holds the true power in the story. Unlike the other children, Charlie never knew comfort, wealth, or power in the same sense that they did but he did know love. It is this love for his family that allows him to be worthy of the chocolate factory and that teaches Willy Wonka the meaning of family.