Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) — Content Guide for Parents
Themes present
Not found
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
Get the full theme breakdown in the app
Detailed evidence, confidence ratings, and source citations for every theme.
Download for iOSExample theme card
Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
Only This is a short, gripping story of life in wartime from Roald Dahl, the master of the shocking tale.
In Only This, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells of a mother restlessly waiting for her bomber crewman son to return form a raid . . .
Only This is taken from the short story collection Over to You, which includes nine other dramatic and terrifying tales of life as a wartime fighter pilot, and is drawn from Dahl's own experiences during the Second World War.
This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Sophie Okonedo.
Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.
Frequently asked questions
Is Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) appropriate for a 7-year-old?
'Only This' depicts wartime experiences, which may include themes of violence related to war, as it tells the story of a mother waiting for her son who is a bomber crewman. However, specific instances of violence are not detailed in the search results. 'Only This' is described as a gripping story that may contain suspenseful or tense elements typical of wartime narratives. However, the exact nature of any scary content is not explicitly detailed in the search results.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have violence?
'Only This' depicts wartime experiences, which may include themes of violence related to war, as it tells the story of a mother waiting for her son who is a bomber crewman. However, specific instances of violence are not detailed in the search results.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have scary content?
'Only This' is described as a gripping story that may contain suspenseful or tense elements typical of wartime narratives. However, the exact nature of any scary content is not explicitly detailed in the search results.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have religious themes?
No religious content in 'Only This'. The search results reference Dahl's background and opinions on religion, but these do not pertain to the story itself.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have racial/cultural content?
No explicit racial themes are present in 'Only This'. The search results focus on broader discussions of Dahl's views on race but do not relate to the content of this specific story.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have profanity?
No profanity is noted in 'Only This'. The search results do not provide any evidence of strong language or swearing in this specific story.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have climate change?
No climate themes are present in 'Only This'. The search results do not mention environmental topics related to this specific story.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have sexual identity?
No sexual content is mentioned in 'Only This'. The search results do not indicate any sexual themes or references within the story.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have gender roles?
No discussion of gender roles is present in 'Only This'. The search results do not indicate any thematic exploration of gender roles within this story.
Does Only This (A Roald Dahl Short Story) have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes or characters are present in 'Only This'. The search results primarily discuss other works by Roald Dahl or general LGBTQ+ literature, not specific content from this short story.
