The Magic Finger

The Magic Finger explores the theme of environmental conservation by highlighting the human tendency to exploit nature, animals, and other vulnerable creatures (including smaller humans) for personal gain. Dahl highlights the normalization of this violence as well as its effects on the environment through the protagonist’s attitude and actions against the Greggs’ hunting exploits. However, he also hints at a solution, showing how attitudes can change drastically with the development of empathy and compassion.

Dahl uses the protagonist’s attitude toward the Greggs’ hunting to explore the attitudes and culture around it. The protagonist despises hunting, and this is evident from the story’s introduction, as she describes her feelings about the act of killing animals for sport. She states, “I can’t stand hunting. I just can’t stand it. It doesn’t seem right to me that men and boys should kill animals just for the fun they get out of it” (8).​ Dahl uses the Greggs’ behavior to exemplify a common human disregard for nature. They hunt animals without consideration for nature’s balance or the well-being of the creatures they target. They even kill ducklings and show no guilt or shame until much later. The narrative emphasizes this lack of respect for nature with the fact that “[e]ven Philip, who was only eight years old, had a gun of his own” (8), illustrating the normalization of this attitude from a young age.

The protagonist’s magic finger serves as a source of change, transforming the Greggs into bird-people and forcing them to experience life from the perspective of the animals they once hunted. When the Greggs turn into birds, everything changes; they have to see what life is like for animals. This switch helps them to understand how difficult and dangerous life can be for creatures in the wild, encouraging both empathy and compassion. It also shows how everything in nature is connected and how the Greggs’ actions affect the environment beyond what they could imagine. At the climax of the story, this shift results in a confrontation in which the power balance has shifted to the ducks; once victims of the Greggs’ hunting, they now hold the power. One duck is clear about just how much the Greggs’ hunting has impacted her life: “Yesterday you shot my children. You shot all six of my children” (46).​ Beyond experiencing life as animals, subject to the whims of hunters, in this scene, the Greggs are confronted with the ducks’ ability to communicate just how deeply they have been hurt.

In the resolution, the Greggs vow to change their ways; Mr. Gregg declares, “I’ll never shoot another duck or another deer or anything else again!” (48), signifying their newly established commitment to conservation. In the story’s conclusion, Dahl illustrates how their newfound perspective plays out in their everyday lives. The Greggs, now renamed “Egg,” live in peace with nature, feeding and caring for the birds they once hunted. By living as birds, the Greggs learn that it’s important to take care of animals and protect the natural world. This transformation reflects Dahl’s message that understanding and respecting nature are necessary for the well-being of all living things. Further, the story is a statement about how people are capable of changing by practicing empathy and compassion.