Origins
The first draft of the novel introduced Matilda's character from the point of view of her parents, misleadingly portraying her as "just plain rotten" to highlight the misplaced priorities of Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood.
It has also been reported that the character of Miss Honey began as a well-intentioned alcoholic whose misdemeanors repeatedly had to be covered up by Matilda from the attentions of her headmistress. Likewise, the headmistress of the initial drafts was not a specifically villainous character.
Read more about this topic: Matilda (novel)
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