Children Quote by Christianna Brand
““She was very ugly - the ugliest person you ever saw in your life! Her hair was scraped into a bun, sticking straight out at the back of her head like a teapot handle; and her face was round and wrinkly, and she had eyes like two little black boot-buttons. And her nose! - she had a nose like two potatoes. She wore a rusty black dress right up to the top of her neck and right down to her button boots, and a rusty black jacket and a rusty black bonnet, all trimmed with trembly black jet, with her teapot-handled of a bun sticky out at the back. And she carried a small brown case and a large black stick, and she had a very fierce expression indeed on her wrinkly, round, brown face. But what you noticed most of all was that she had one huge front Tooth, sticking right out like a tombstone over her lower lip. You never, in the whole of your life, ever saw such a Tooth!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Witches, Roald Dahl, 1983
A grotesque description of a witch emphasizes her monstrous appearance and unsettling presence, highlighting fear of the unknown.
In simple terms: Witch looks terrifying and strange.
Key Takeaway
Beware appearances that hide dangerous intentions.
Themes
fear
otherness
appearance
evil
supernatural
Mood
creepy
dark
imaginative
Type
literary
descriptive
When to use this quote
- children’s literature
- horror storytelling
- character design
- visual arts
Key Concepts
monster archetype
psychology of horror
visual grotesqueness
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the witch’s appearance say about societal fears?
- How can we portray villains without relying on physical ugliness?
A Different Perspective
The vivid detail may reinforce stereotypes rather than explore deeper motives.
![“The ugliest thing in the world is a beautiful woman without the brains or courage to know that [beauty] is nothing more than an accident.” quote by Charlie Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fb9/charlie-fletcher-33538_accidents_the-ugliest-thing-in-the-world-is-a-beau_155012.jpg)
