Grandpa Joe explains that Mr. Wonka fired all of his workers after spies infiltrated the factory and stole his secret recipes. The factory then reopened with mysterious short shadows seen inside and smoke coming from the chimneys again. Mr. Bucket rushes home excited with a newspaper announcing Mr. Wonka will open his factory to a few lucky winners of Golden Tickets.

1. CHARLIE AND THE
CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Roald Dahl

2. Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory
Chapter 4 : The Secret
Workers

3. Summary
◦ The next evening Grandpa
Joe explains why no one is ever
seen going into or coming out
of Mr. Wonka's factory. It seems
Mr. Wonka employed thousands
of people until spies penetrated
the system and began stealing
his most famous recipes. Mr.
Wonka was so unhappy he fired
all his workers, locked the
gates, and closed down the
factory.

4. Summary
◦ After months the factory
showed signs of being in use
again. Steam came out of the
chimneys; the noise of the
machines started up again;
and the smell of melting
chocolate filled the air.
Mysterious shadows could be
seen in the factory windows—
shadows of people who
seemed to be no more than
knee-high.

5. Summary
◦At this point in Grandpa Joe's
story, Mr. Bucket rushes in from
work. He's waving a newspaper
with the huge headline WONKA
FACTORY TO BE OPENED AT
LAST TO LUCKY FEW

6. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Chapter 4
Quotes

7. “WONKA FACTORY TO BE OPENED
AT LAST TO LUCKY FEW”
This is the newspaper headline announcing the contest to find one of the five Golden
Tickets. The lucky finders will spend a day at Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
Why is this such a good thing?

8. Analysis
◦ Mr. Wonka seems to be something of an autocrat in this chapter. He fires everyone and closes
the factory, seemingly without consideration for the workers who are innocent of spying. As
Grandpa Joe says, "He told all the workers that he was sorry, but they would have to go home."

9. CHAPTER 4 QUESTIONS

10. 1. Why did
Mr. Wonka
fire all of his
old
employees?
◦Mr. Wonka fired all his
employees because he
found out they were
selling all his secrets to
his competitors.

11. 2. WHAT CLUES DID
THE TOWNSPEOPLE
HAVE THAT MR.
WONKA’S FACTORY
WAS ONCE AGAIN
RUNNING?
Smoke was
coming from
the factory
again, and
candy was
being
shipped out
again.

12. 3. What was
so mysterious
about the
newly opened
factory?
◦They never saw
anybody going in
or coming out of
the factory. The
shadows of people
inside were knee-
high( very small)

13. 4. How does
Grandpa
know that
the spies
were
successful?
Fickelgruber’s factory started making an ice cream
that would never melt, even in the hottest sun.
Mr Prodnose’s factory came out with a chewing-gum
that never lost its flavour however much you chewed
it.
Mr Slugworth’s factory began making sugar balloons
that you could blow up to huge sizes before you
popped them with a pin and gobbled them up

14. 5. How does Mr.
Wonka send his
chocolate out
to the world?
◦The candy comes out
through a special trap door
in the wall, all packed and
addressed, and they are
picked up every day by Post
Office trucks

15. 6. Why was Mr.
Bucket so
excited when he
came home
from work?
◦Mr. Bucket was excited
because there was a
newspaper out that
declared that Willy
Wonka’s factory will
open to the public.