“I Want the World, I Want the Whole World”: What Veruca Taught Me

Orig. Published 8/28/2014

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (1971), source: Google Images

I love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! Not the 2005 revamp Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp, I mean the sort of grainy 1971 film starring Gene Wilder as Willie Wonka and Peter Ostrum as the miserable Charlie Bucket. Like most of our favorite childhood movies, it is filled with amazing lessons and (let’s be honest) a bit of innuendo. As a certified theater nerd, I learned most of the musical numbers in this classic film. One of the more memorable performances, besides of Wilder’s superb rendition of “Pure Imagination,” is Julie Dawn Cole as Veruca Salt in “I Want It Now”.

As a kid, I remember thinking I could never speak to my parents like that, but somehow I was drawn to Veruca’s assertive demeanor. Much like Angela Pickles on The Rugrats, Veruca knew what she wanted, when she wanted it, and exactly how she wanted it.

Was Veruca annoying? Absolutely! However, I had never seen a little girl demand anything, let alone everything she wanted. While people are quick to call Veruca a “brat” or “bossy,” I find her to be refreshing. Sure, she could have been a bit kinder in her approach, but at the end of the day she was not afraid to ask for what she wanted. In fact, she demanded it!

If you were raised like me, you were taught that children are to be seen and not heard. While I always questioned the status quo — like my father’s insistence that I help my mother in the kitchen, while the menfolk sat watching TV on Sundays. I never had the courage to speak my mind. I didn’t make waves. I was bound by what others thought I should do. I didn’t have any of what Wayne Levin called “N.U.Ts,” or Non-negotiable Unalterable Terms. (Those would come many years later.)

Veruca Salt helped me realize that what I wanted mattered. Perhaps it did not matter above others needs or desires, but it was equally important. If there is something that I wanted I needed to ask for it, and if there was something I needed I should want to ask for it.

Does that make me a bad egg? Is that egotistical or selfish? No, it’s not. Asserting one’s self is the cornerstone of confidence, and confidence is the cornerstone of business. Allowing others to dictate your path by just accepting what they offer can lead to disappointment. Not believing in yourself will not help others believe in you.

Sure, Willy Wonka taught me not be a self-absorbed, miserable, spoiled brat that never listens to reason because it’s really uncool and can lead to your death. Still, I urge you to rethink your opinion of Veruca Salt. She teaches us something much more valuable than likability. She teaches us to ask for what we want; critics be damned until we get it (or fall down a garbage chute).

Personally, that’s a risk I am willing to take.

A Fat Girl’s Guide to Business

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A blog dedicated to plus-size women pursuing their dreams in life and business.

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