41 pages • 1 hour read
David WalliamsGangsta Granny
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Ben
In Gangsta Granny, 11-year-old Ben lives a quiet life with his parents outside London, England. As the protagonist of the story, Ben has the most significant character arc in the book. At the beginning of the story, Ben is close-minded and bitter about Granny and “old people” in general. However, by the end, Ben realizes that he was too judgmental and that Granny was a fun, caring, and adventurous person like himself.
Ben is usually obedient and polite. For instance, he stays over at Granny’s every Friday night despite not enjoying it. While there, he politely thanks Granny for her cabbage soup and pie, even though he hates it and usually dumps it in a plant pot or throws it out the window. The author depicts Ben as a friendly and sensitive kid who does not like to upset people. While Ben has disagreements with his parents, he still tries to please them and make them proud. When they insist he dance in a competition, he genuinely tries and feels terrible when he receives a score of zero. Ben also does not want to hurt Granny’s feelings. When Ben complains about Granny on the phone, he feels guilty at the thought that she heard him talking about her.
Ben also has a gullible nature, which makes him more open-minded about Granny’s life story. When Granny begins telling him fantastical tales about her life as a jewel thief, Ben listens eagerly and believes everything she tells him. Despite his young age and limited circumstances, Ben tries to assert his independence and personal interests. For instance, he sneaks out to Granny’s house many times by climbing down the drainpipe and riding his bike over. Ben also secretly hatches an elaborate heist plan, which he and Granny use to access the Crown Jewels. Ben’s kind nature, interest in adventure, and ability to change his mind make him a sympathetic young protagonist.
Granny
Initially the antagonist of the story, Granny soon becomes a loveable secondary character as she supports Ben’s incredible heist plans—and his dreams of becoming a plumber. Seen through Ben’s eyes, Granny is at first the “boring” grandparent who ruins Ben’s Fridays with her cabbage cooking and dull routine. However, Granny’s kindness shines through, as she lovingly tries to connect with Ben. Granny’s special skill is her storytelling ability, and she uses this to spark Ben’s interest in spending time with her. Granny enjoys Ben’s fascination with her outlandish tales and uses her stories to make his Friday evenings more fun and lively despite her poor health and meager home.
Granny is a nurturing grandparent who wants Ben to be happy and feel good about himself. For instance, when Ben is discouraged by a flaw in his heist plan, he says he feels “useless.” However, Granny cheers him up by telling him, “You are an amazing young man. You really are. Since we have been spending so much time together I am a hundred times happier than I could ever say” (236-37). This appreciation of his talents coupled with the validation of his interests makes him feel seen and valued, contrasting the way his parents make him feel.
Despite the extraordinary nature of Ben’s heist plan, Granny agrees to try to steal the Crown Jewels with him. By the end of the story, it is revealed that Granny was never a jewel thief at all and is suffering from terminal cancer. She understands that she went about it the wrong way, but is characterized by her willingness to try new, dangerous, and frightening things for Ben’s sake. This makes her dedication to Ben’s plan more impactful and shows her strong emotional investment in her grandson.
Mum
Ben’s mother is a middle-aged lady who works as a nail technician at a nail salon called Gail’s Nails. As her passion in life is ballroom dancing, she is very hopeful that Ben will one day train in professional dancing. Walliams often comedically juxtaposes the sensitivity of Mum’s feelings with the insensitivity she shows to others, as Walliams depicts Mum as oblivious to Ben and Granny’s feelings. For instance, when Ben complains about Granny, his mother agrees with him that she is uninteresting and not worth talking to. Mum even suggests that Granny is not mentally sharp and cannot understand what’s going on around her. Mum’s dismissive attitude to Granny hurts Granny’s feelings, as she tries and fails to connect with her daughter-in-law.
Mum’s tendency to focus on her own needs and interests makes Ben question whether she still loves him, as he cannot ballroom dance and wants to be a plumber. Since Mum recognizes that Ben does not have fun with Granny, Ben feels that she is purposely neglecting him by leaving him at Granny’s to go to her own events. Over the course of the story, Mum realizes that her unreasonable demands on Ben have hurt his feelings and caused distrust in their relationship. By the end, Mum has learned from her mistakes and assures Ben that she loves him the way he is, completing her emotional arc as a secondary character.
Dad
Dad is a middle-aged man who is highly bonded to his wife but has a troubled relationship with his son, Ben. Dad works as a security guard at a grocery store, but Ben observes that he is too overweight to run after anyone, so all he can do is block thieves at the exit. Dad met Ben’s mum when he incorrectly accused her of stealing a bag of chips, inadvertently sparking their romance. Like his wife, Dad is obsessed with ballroom dancing and loves to watch it on TV and go to live performances.
Dad is defensive about his mother, Granny, and disagrees with Ben that she is boring and smelly. Walliams depicts Dad as a self-centered and strict father who ignores Ben’s feelings and focuses on his own interests. For instance, when Ben calls him to ask to come home from Granny’s house, Dad insists that he stays there so that he and his wife can finish their ballroom dancing event. Ben loves plumbing, but his dad ignores his son’s talent for the trade and encourages him to switch his passion to dancing. By the end of the story, Dad is distressed to learn that Ben is missing and looks everywhere for him. When Ben comes home safe, Dad is relieved and realizes that he has been too hard on his son. Dad’s willingness to express his love for Ben and recognize his son’s real personality and interests completes his character arc from self-centered to sensitive.
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By David Walliams
