The Twits

Mr. Twit is one of the main characters of the novel. The character was inspired by Dahl’s hatred of beards, which he had been known to malign publicly. His attitude toward and descriptions of Mr. Twit’s beard in the opening chapters are a direct line to Dahl’s feelings. The narrator states that Mr. Twit “felt that this hairiness made him look terrifically wise and grand” (4), and this detail reflects the disdain with which Dahl viewed men who grew beards. In this way, Mr. Twit is both a character in the story and a vehicle for the author to share his opinions. It’s been said that The Twits was inspired by Dahl’s dislike for beards, so the book raises the question of whether art should be considered on its own merits or as an extension of the author.

Mrs. Twit is the other main character of the novel. Like Mr. Twit, she is cruel and ugly, but unlike Mr. Twit, who has always been this way, Mrs. Twit was once beautiful, made ugly by years of ugly thoughts. The narrator notes that having ugliness on the inside eventually makes a person ugly on the outside. Behind her appearance, there was nothing but unkindness, and at the time of the story, “Nothing good shone out of Mrs.