The Chocolate Touch
Encyclopedia
The Chocolate Touch is a children's book by Patrick Skene Catling
, first published in the USA in 1952. The story is patterned after the myth of King Midas, whose magic turned everything he touched into gold.
What starts out as a dream come true quickly becomes uncomfortable, as John becomes thirstier and thirstier, sicker and sicker, and begins longing for the good, wholesome foods his parents always wanted him to eat. John complains of the condition to his father, who take him to the family doctor, where his condition is revealed, although the doctor thinks it is some rare disease. Discomfort turns to nightmare, as John tries to console his weeping mother with a kiss, only to turn her into a chocolate statue. Finally considering someone else's good above his own, John tracks down the storekeeper of the candy shop, and selflessly tries to set things right. The store owner reveals that the coin John used can only be seen by greedy men, and if John is truly repentant of his greed and gluttony then everything he transformed into chocolate will be reverted to their original forms, and nobody will have any memory of John's chocolate transforming ability, which will also be reversed. The mystery of the shop is unexplained that in the ending, when John as part of his reformed self, feels he should be grateful to the store owner for undoing all of John's damage, runs back to the candy shop only to find an empty lot where the store once stood, though it is highly possible that he cannot see it due to him overcoming his greediness.
's desire, modifies its target in significant ways. The myth of King Midas, who loved gold
above all things, targets greed
as its main theme, while The Chocolate Touch highlights another of the Seven Deadly Sins
, gluttony
. Both stories deal with self-centeredness vs. compassion, though The Chocolate Touch does so in a manner accessible to children. Although John's self-centeredness is unlike most other cases of self-centerdness that put other people at a disadvantage; in John's case he wants his family
to stop telling him what he can and cannot eat. Towards the end of the story John comes to realize that his parents' and doctor
's demand for healthy eating was for his own good. While people reading the myth of King Midas may not all have daughters of their own, almost all have mothers. In recasting the Midas story with a younger protagonist
, author Catling hits on some of children's worst fears, albeit with a light touch.
Protagonists and Antagonists:
John Midas as the center character but antagonist
Mr. & Mrs. Midas, the candy shop owner as the protagonists
in 1989, the Utah Children's Choice Honors Award in 1983, and the Beehive Award from the Children's Literature Association of Utah in 1983.
Patrick Skene Catling
Patrick Skene Catling is a British children's book author and book reviewer best known for writing The Chocolate Touch in 1952.-Background:Catling was born and schooled in London and was educated there and at Oberlin College in the United States...
, first published in the USA in 1952. The story is patterned after the myth of King Midas, whose magic turned everything he touched into gold.
Summary
John Midas is a very greedy young boy who only loves to eat candy, especially chocolate. His parents keep trying to get him to eat healthy meals, but all he wants to eat is chocolate, to the point where he must take nightly doses of a vitamin tonic to keep nourished. John's doctor, Dr. Cranium, orders that John may not eat any more chocolate, which is enforced by his parents, much to John's chagrin. John has to find a way to continue eating chocolate without being noticed. One day, John happens across an unusual coin lying on the sidewalk, about the size of a quarter. One face depicts a fat boy, and the other is inscribed with his initials, "J.M." Shortly thereafter, he encounters a candy store he has never seen before, which is further mysterious considering the owner knows John's name immediately and claims that the strange coin is the only kind of money he accepts. John uses the coin to purchase a large box of chocolates. That night, in bed, John opens the box to dejectedly discover that it contains only one small chocolate ball, with an exquisite flavor. The next morning, John discovers that anything that touches his mouth transforms into chocolate.What starts out as a dream come true quickly becomes uncomfortable, as John becomes thirstier and thirstier, sicker and sicker, and begins longing for the good, wholesome foods his parents always wanted him to eat. John complains of the condition to his father, who take him to the family doctor, where his condition is revealed, although the doctor thinks it is some rare disease. Discomfort turns to nightmare, as John tries to console his weeping mother with a kiss, only to turn her into a chocolate statue. Finally considering someone else's good above his own, John tracks down the storekeeper of the candy shop, and selflessly tries to set things right. The store owner reveals that the coin John used can only be seen by greedy men, and if John is truly repentant of his greed and gluttony then everything he transformed into chocolate will be reverted to their original forms, and nobody will have any memory of John's chocolate transforming ability, which will also be reversed. The mystery of the shop is unexplained that in the ending, when John as part of his reformed self, feels he should be grateful to the store owner for undoing all of John's damage, runs back to the candy shop only to find an empty lot where the store once stood, though it is highly possible that he cannot see it due to him overcoming his greediness.
Themes
The Chocolate Touch covers roughly the same narrative arc as the myth of King Midas, but in changing the object of its protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
's desire, modifies its target in significant ways. The myth of King Midas, who loved gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
above all things, targets greed
Greed
Greed is an excessive desire to possess wealth, goods, or abstract things of value with the intention to keep it for one's self. Greed is inappropriate expectation...
as its main theme, while The Chocolate Touch highlights another of the Seven Deadly Sins
Seven deadly sins
The 7 Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of objectionable vices that have been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning fallen humanity's tendency to sin...
, gluttony
Gluttony
Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
. Both stories deal with self-centeredness vs. compassion, though The Chocolate Touch does so in a manner accessible to children. Although John's self-centeredness is unlike most other cases of self-centerdness that put other people at a disadvantage; in John's case he wants his family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
to stop telling him what he can and cannot eat. Towards the end of the story John comes to realize that his parents' and doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
's demand for healthy eating was for his own good. While people reading the myth of King Midas may not all have daughters of their own, almost all have mothers. In recasting the Midas story with a younger protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, author Catling hits on some of children's worst fears, albeit with a light touch.
Protagonists and Antagonists:
John Midas as the center character but antagonist
Mr. & Mrs. Midas, the candy shop owner as the protagonists
Significance
The Chocolate Touch is still in print, and is often used in grade school curricula throughout the United States. It won the Massachusetts Children's Book AwardMassachusetts Children's Book Award
The Massachusetts Children's Book Award was established as a program to encourage children to read. The children themselves vote for the book they think deserves to be named the book of the year....
in 1989, the Utah Children's Choice Honors Award in 1983, and the Beehive Award from the Children's Literature Association of Utah in 1983.