Willy Wonka, humanitarian or slave driver in disguise?
By Erilyn
@Erilyn (3020)
United States
May 29, 2007 10:21am CST
I was watching Charlie and the chocolate factory the other day for maybe the 50th time, and something occurred to me.
The oompa loompas are working for him for coco beans. Do you think this would amount to slave labor? Beneath the cheery exterior and the apperant humanitarism do you think that he is exploting them?
We can see exapmles of things like this around us all the time, but here I am sticking to a ficitonal example of this. So what do you think? Should we work to free the oompa loompas or leave them to the decisions thay have made? Do you think it is fair to them or is it exploitation?
3 people like this
3 responses
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
29 May 07
Seems to me that the oompa loompas made a whole world for them selfs in the factory. Its been many many years since I read the book to my children, but no I would not put this equal to slave labor. I think that the coco bean is what they craved and wanted most, so they were in heaven being able to work in a chocolate factory and indeed get paid with them. Great Question Erilyn It will be interesting to see what other people think about this.
1 person likes this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
29 May 07
So Trans what your thoughts on ole Charlie, slave owner or humanitarian? Or should we call him a Oompaitarian?
1 person likes this
@Erilyn (3020)
• United States
29 May 07
Well trans, angelwhispers had said that it was something they craved and wanted most, so it was a natural jump for me to make. Just before I posted this comment I was looking through friends discussions and happened to see one you posted lol. I hadn't had the time to read it though. I swear though I posted the above comment first lol.
@Erilyn (3020)
• United States
29 May 07
Oompatiarian I like that. I don't remember reading the book I know I did though. And yeah the smurfs had their own set of issues lol. They might be asexual or they might be "traditional" type families where only the men work and the women take care of the kids.
In the remake verison of the movie, in the elevator they do go by the administration section and Willy says hello to "Doris". So maybe all the women work there, there seemed to be a lot of desks lol. But they don't look happy most of the time. I wonder why that is.
@SilentRose19 (1733)
• United States
29 May 07
I don't think it would be slave labor, simply because they are working for some kind of pay (cocoa beans). I remember in history class that people used to work for people in a pay of chickens, goats, and food. Its typically what you consider pay, what you need more. Really i think that its not slaves if your getting paid something, its not you doing something against your will your doing it for the cocoa beans. Well at least the oompa loompas are. Great topic though, very interesting.
1 person likes this
@Erilyn (3020)
• United States
29 May 07
Thank you SilentRose19. But to get to your point on they were paid, slaves were fed and housed by their slave owners, but they were still slaves. It may be more like a sweat shop type of environment. Angelwhispers does make some good points about it being as she puts it Oompatairian, and you make a good point that they are getting paid in their own way. Hmmmm I am going to have to put some more thought into this one :).
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
29 May 07
i was slightly questioning about a businessman who invites so many children into his chocolate factory, should he be charged with grooming? I think we should be told
1 person likes this
@Erilyn (3020)
• United States
29 May 07
Maybe that's why he never leaves the factory. I think someone should look into this. I never thought of it that way Eskaerna1, but you make a good point. I think we need to investigate this a bit further, find out what the real motives are. Why is it that he hasn't found a wife and have an heir of his own? Interesting thought.
