Lavender is the tritagonist of Roald Dahl's novel Matilda and one of the two deuteragonists of its 1996 film adaptation. She is a student at Crunchem Hall Primary who befriends the titular protagonist.
Book[]
The book's Lavender has black hair and dark eyes. Her physical description states that she is a "skinny little nymph".
Film[]
The film incarnation of Lavender is depicted wearing her black hair in thick braids and wears big round glasses and often dark 1970’s dresses for young girls just like Matilda. She wears black Chuck Taylor high tops and white socks with overalls. Unlike the book, Lavender is changed to African American in order to showcase America's diversity.
When Matilda and Lavender first meet they are on the playground watching Miss Trunchbull taunt the students on the playground and then throws Amanda Thripp by her pigtails. Lavender who is a sweet and sensitive girl had a hard time watching the Trunchbull force Bruce to eat an entire chocolate cake but when Matilda started cheering for Bruce she joined in. Later, Lavender decided to play a trick on the Trunchbull when she visited Miss Honey's class for testing. The Trunchbull, who never takes water without taking over a class has a student get her water ready. Lavender decided to take the job and to put a newt in it to prank the Trunchbull. She succeeds, but the furious Trunchbull blames Matilda instead of Lavender. Matilda who is upset with the Trunchbull blaming her, stares at the glass and with her powers makes the newt land on the Trunchbull's suit. A few days later after Matilda snuck into the Trunchbull's house, the Trunchbull visits Miss Honey's class and shows Matilda's red ribbon in her hand. Later the Trunchbull receives a note from Matilda who is pretending to be the ghost of Magnus Honey the father of Miss Honey, The Trunchbull, who is then attacked by erasers and gets out of control, almost gets Lavender but is clobbered by students instead. Matilda makes Lavender fly and Lavender is impressed. After the Trunchbull leaves the school forever, it’s thought to be that after Matilda lived with Miss Honey, the friendship between Matilda and Lavender remained strong.
Musical[]
Lavender wears the standard Crunchem Hall uniform (there were no uniforms in the book or movie) which was a necktie, a grey suit and grey skirts for the girls while trousers for boys. In the musical Lavender had almond-shaped, crinkly, beetle black eyes, black hair in a bun and creamy skin. Lavender was kind in all three versions of Matilda but had different types of personalities. In the book Lavender was curious, slightly quiet and determined. In the movie she was easy to impress and cute. In both the book and the movie she spent a lot of time with Matilda and was very close to her but in the musical she went right up to her and asked her randomly to be her best friend. In the musical Lavender was loud, bubbly and friendly. In all three stories she put the newt in Miss Trunchbull's water but had different strategies. In the book her family had a pond, in the movie they found one at school and in the musical they never showed her getting the newt but eagerly had a monologue about how she would put the newt in the Trunchbull's water. In the movie the actress of Lavender is Kiami Davael but in the musical she is played by Robin Ashwood.
Gallery[]
Matilda[]
Matilda the Musical[]
