Doesn't sound like abuse to you? Wait, it gets worse.
When Willy asks him if he can have one just to try it, his father tells him that he has a chocolate allergy, messing with his head and telling him he will be itchy all over if he eats a single one. On the surface, he's bald-faced lying to his child. But from a deeper, psychological standpoint, he's saying, "It's your fault that you can't have what other kids have." Then we see a pure example of neglectful and abusive parenting when Willy finally has enough and says he will run away to Switzerland to make chocolate. His father's response? "I won't be here when you come back."
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Then he started asking Willy if it was safe.
This is only a brief glimpse into Wonka's childhood, but we get a pretty clear picture that it isn't a one-time incident. It's just one scene in a long line of neglect and outright emotional abuse. It's likely that this is only the tip of the iceberg with a cold, unfeeling, manipulative monster of a father. It paints a picture of an extremely strict perfectionist who denies his son not just the basics of childhood but even the most remedial emotional connection. This not only motivates Willy Wonka to become the world's best chocolatier, it also turns him into a psychopathic killing machine with an innate distrust of adults and a burning need for revenge.
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But who could have seen all that coming just from looking at him?
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