Willy Wonka and the Ethics of Oompa-Loompa Labor

We will be meeting at Pablo Creek Regional - Conference Room!

Join us for a trip into a world of "pure imagination" as we explore the fascinating themes behind Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), featuring the iconic Gene Wilder!

Please note: We will not be watching the movie during the event, nor is viewing it beforehand required.

## Brief Summary

Eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka launches a global contest, hiding five Golden Tickets in his chocolate bars. The winners, including the good-hearted Charlie Bucket, earn a tour of Wonka's magical and secretive factory, a place run by the mysterious Oompa-Loompas. But the factory is also a dangerous moral test. As four of the children are eliminated by their own flaws, Charlie faces one final test to see if he will inherit Wonka's entire candy empire.

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## Philosophical Discussion Questions:

### Questions on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

1. 🍫 Topic 1: The Oompa-Loompa "Labor" Question

2. Is Willy Wonka a savior or an exploiter? He "rescued" the Oompa-Loompas from danger, but now they live and work in his factory 24/7.

3. The Oompa-Loompas are paid in cocoa beans, not currency. Is this a fair wage, or is it a "company store" system designed to trap them in indentured servitude?

4. We never see any Oompa-Loompas leave the factory. Are they free to go? Does the film suggest that "safety" (inside the factory) is a fair trade for "freedom"?

5. Do the Oompa-Loompas seem genuinely happy, or is their constant singing and identical appearance a sign of lost individuality and a forced "groupthink"?

6. What responsibilities does an employer (Wonka) have to their workers (Oompa-Loompas) beyond just wages and housing? Does Wonka meet them?

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### ⚖️ Topic 2: Justice, Punishment, and Morality

6. Is Willy Wonka responsible for the children's fates (Augustus, Violet, etc.)? He designed the factory with full knowledge of its dangers and temptations.
7. Are the "punishments" given to the children just and proportional to their "crimes"? Or are they cruel and unusual?
8. The Oompa-Loompas' songs publicly shame each child for their flaws. Is this a healthy way to teach a moral lesson, or is it just bullying?
9. Why are the parents—who clearly enabled and encouraged their children's bad behavior—allowed to leave the factory unharmed?
10. The movie punishes gluttony (Augustus), greed (Veruca), pride (Violet), and apathy (Mike). Are these the "worst" vices a person can have? What vices are ignored?

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### 🤥 Topic 3: Deception, Tests, and "Pure Imagination"

11. Wonka is constantly sarcastic and misleading ("We have so much time and so little to see... Strike that, reverse it."). Why does he hide his true intentions behind this facade?
12. The entire tour is revealed to be a secret character test. Is it ethical for Wonka to deceive all the children and families just to find one "good" heir?
13. The "Pure Imagination" room is beautiful, but the closer you look, the more artificial it is (e.g., the teacup flower Wonka eats is wax). What is the film saying about illusion vs. reality?
14. The "Slugworth" test (the offer to buy an Everlasting Gobstopper) was the real test. Why was loyalty (or rather, not committing corporate espionage) the most important virtue to Wonka?
15. Was Wonka's rage at Charlie (for "stealing" Fizzy Lifting Drinks) genuine or just part of the act? If it was an act, what was its purpose?

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### 🎫 Topic 4: Capitalism, Scarcity, and Happiness

16. The Golden Ticket contest creates global hysteria and chaos, all to sell candy bars. What commentary is the film making on consumerism and artificial scarcity?
17. Wonka locked his gates for years to protect his "intellectual property" from spies. In business, how far is too far to go to protect your secrets?
18. Charlie's reward for being "good" isn't just a lifetime supply of chocolate; it's becoming a CEO. Is the film's ultimate message that virtue is rewarded with property and wealth?
19. Charlie's family is portrayed as virtuous because they are poor. Does the movie imply that wealth and greed are naturally connected?
20. At the end, Wonka quotes, "Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted... He lived happily ever after." Is this a straightforward happy ending, or is it a cynical warning that "getting everything" isn't what it seems?