New Play Giant Examines Roald Dahl's Antisemitism

A new Broadway production titled Giant dramatizes the controversy surrounding author Roald Dahl’s 1983 book review, which contained antisemitic generalizations about Jewish people [1]. Unlike the villains in Dahl’s own fiction, who are often physically grotesque and easily identifiable, the play portrays the author as a complex figure whose intelligence and charisma coexist with his prejudice [1].

Key takeaways

• Giant is a Broadway play running through June that dramatizes a debate over Dahl's 1983 antisemitic review [1].
• The play portrays Dahl as a "war hero" and "literary virtuoso" who also held antisemitic views and claimed Jews were cowards [1].
• The production contrasts Dahl's obvious fictional villains with the reality that prejudice is often hidden within sophisticated, educated individuals [1].

Contrasting Fictional Villains With Real Prejudice

In Dahl's children's books, evil is often self-evident, much like the monsters of ancient mythology such as the Laestrygonians, who were described as unfriendly, cannibalistic giants that destroyed ships [2]. However, the play Giant refuses to caricature Dahl in this manner [1]. Instead, it depicts a debate between the author and his associates over his refusal to retract claims that there is a "trait in the Jewish character" that provokes animosity [1]. The play reenacts verbatim an exchange where Dahl tells a journalist that "even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason" [1].

The Complexity of a Literary Giant

The production highlights that prejudice can exist alongside talent and refinement. Dahl is portrayed as a polymath—a war hero, a best-selling author, and an inventor who created a medical valve for his son—yet he was also prone to hubris and conspiracy theories [1]. Playwright Mark Rosenblatt notes that Dahl was a "pathological fixer of problems," and that antisemitic conspiracy theories served as a simplistic tool for him to make sense of the world [1]. The play suggests that bigots are rarely the simple villains of folklore, but often intelligent, charismatic individuals like Dahl, whose daughter noted he was once expelled from a social club for complaining about the number of Jewish members [1].

Why it matters

The play serves as a reminder that prejudice