What is it with Willy Wonka?  Who can’t love a man with a chocolate river in his house?  I admit to being intrigued.  There are three versions of Willy Wonka, as far as I’m concerned.  The original, in the book written by Roald Dahl,  is the purest version, not the stylized movie one.  In the first movie, Wonka was played by Gene Wilder, who did a bang up job.  And then finally, along came Johnny, as in Depp, whom I adore, but didn’t cotton to in the Willy Wonka role.

So it’s the Roald Dahl version, the book version that has long captured my imagination since way back in third grade, when I encouraged my teacher Mrs. Daly, to read it aloud to the class.  Which she did, and afterward, since the class ‘loved it so much’ she encouraged a round of applause to ‘moi’ for recommending ‘such a good book.’

Who is Willy Wonka?  Man or boy?  Genius or no?  Who cares!  He’s magical, and observing, and sensitve, and surprising.  Maybe a little creepy at times, but hey - he seems to get a pass somehow, given that whole aristic genius thing.

Just who is Willy Wonka, and where did he come from?  How come we never got any back story on him is what I’d like to know. Where were his parents?  Friends?  How did he end up a recluse in that chocolate factory anyway, with just him and all those oompa loompas?

I admit that makes him all the more intriguing, that mystery surrounding his status.  As I ponder this, I wonder if maybe he was just paranoid, afraid the competition was out to steal his secrets.  That can happen with genius you know.  Take a look at Howard Hughes.

I want to know how the story ends, or actually, how it continues.  How did things go for our young hero, Charlie Bucket, and his family, once they flew through the great glass elevator, and inherited the factory, secrets and all?  Did they live happily ever after?  I hope so.  Charlie Bucket was more than deserving of his Golden Ticket, of his happily ever after.  His sincerity, his humanity, his gentle and honest nature, were the very traits that Willy Wonka recognized and thus rewarded.  Charlie never fell into any of his evil traps, his elaborate schemes.  All of the others, the manic Mike TV, the glutenous Agustus Gloop,  the outrageous Violet Beauregard, and that horribly demanding Veruka Salt all did themselves in on their very own.  They were their own obstacles on their bright and shining paths, and yet they had no idea, taking themselves out of the game, as they did.

You never know who the Willy Wonkas are, or where they may be lurking.  You can choose to be like Charlie if you want to.  Look where it got him.  A grand future, for himself, and his family, with a great glass elevator, and a chocolate river to boot.