He has always inspired me – both the movie version that I saw many many years ago and the novel that I’ve only just recently read. Charlie shows that hope and optimism spring eternal. While he had nothing – not enough food, heat, shelter, and certainly not chocolate from the beloved Willy Wonka Factory – Charlie maintained his sense of hope. We don’t hear of him complaining about his grumbling tummy while the kids around him are opening their daily chocolate bars nor does he bemoan the cold while watching others who are bundled to their ears walking into the candy store.