What a Character! - Miss Trunchbull in Roald Dahl's 'Matilda'

Miss Trunchbull, the Headmistress, was something else altogether. She was a fierce tyrannical monster who frightened the life out of the pupils and teachers alike . There was an aura of menace about her even at a distance, and when she came up close you could almost feel the dangerous heat radiating from her as from a red-hot rod of metal. When she marched–Miss Trunchbull never walked, she always marched like a storm-trooper with long strides and arms aswinging – when she marched along a corridor you could actually hear her snorting as she went, and if a group of children were in her path, she ploughed right on through them like a tank, with small people bouncing off her to left and right. She was above all a most formidable female. She had once been a famous athlete, and even now the muscles were clearly in evidence. You could see them in the bull neck, in the big shoulders, in the thick arms, in the sinewy wrists and in the powerful legs. Looking at her you got the feeling that here was someone who could tear telephone directories in half. Her face, I’m afraid to say, was neither a thing of beauty nor a joy forever. She had an obstinate chin, a cruel mouth and small arrogant eyes.

Students' Responses:

Headmistress Trunchbull
Fierce, tyrannical monster
Marched, she never walked. (Jennifer Koh)

An aggressive headmistress
Arrogant and fierce
Pupils dare not meet that one. (Nur Laila)

Angry, annoying
Stubborn, cruel, disloyal
This is Miss TrunchBull. (Audry Soh Yun Ting)

An aggresive headmistress
Truly arrogant and fierce
The really fierce one (Nurulhuda Bte Samsudin)


Got powerful legs
never understand children .
She is Miss Truchbull. (Siti Rahayu Bte Uzman)


Miss TrunchBull's shouting
Children Running Everywhere
What A Big Bully. (Annie Ng Li Woon)

Miss TrunchBull
A fierce tyrannical monster
Is a headmistress. (Nur Alifah)

A very strict one
A fierce, dangerous person
Headmistress Tunchbull. (Chua Li Jun )

Miss TrunchBull is fat
She likes to threaten pupils
Miss TrunchBull is big. (Ang Soh Ming)

Mrs Trunchbull is fierce
She always marched like a storm
Determined lady. (Sim Ting Xuan)

In a scary place
There is a fierce head mistress
She is Miss Trunchbull. (Lim Xin Ni)

Evil Miss Trunchbull
She is always determined
walks in heavy steps. (Siah Cheon Kee)

A joyless lady
who is a fierce headmistress
is not a beauty. (Susan Tan Sushan)

Miss Trunchbull, the Headmistress
fierce, frightening, bad tempered
Miss Trunchbull, ferocious one. (Alice Leong)

Miss Trunchbull is mean
She is dreadful and ugly
She thinks she's the best. (Iszra Maszwira)

Agatha Trunchbull
The monster-like headmistress
Has menacing looks. (Rabiatul Adawiyah)

A tyrannical monster
Aura of menace round her
Headmistress Trunchbull. (Darryl Han)

She’s a fierce monster ,
You could feel heat radiates
marching like a soldier. (Joven Phang)

Children scared of her
She is very athletic
She is very fierce. (Nur Fitriaina)

She is the fierce one
A very cruel headmistress
An arrogant one. (Muhd Nur Hazwan)