Believing

Belief is thematized and questions in a variety of ways in The Witches. Crucial to the story is the boy's acceptance of witches as real. Dahl tries to convince the reader of this fact as well. For example, in the very first chapter, a big deal is made out of the difference between witches in fairy tales and the "REAL WITCHES" (1) in this book. The narrator also cautions the reader or listener that their own teacher might be a witch, bringing the world of the book into the reader's reality. Thus, belief is transmitted from the grandmother to the boy and from Dahl to the reader.

Another kind of belief comes in the form of motivation. Though the boy is faced with tough circumstances, he never stops believing in the possibility of a good life, and he and the grandmother mutually believe that they can change the world for the better. What seems to spur this belief is the love and comfort they give to one another.