Matilda is written at an elementary student's reading level and therefore uses simple sentence structure and a basic vocabulary. It is written with a casual tone and this is very prevalent in its descriptions of characters. The antagonists of the novel, Matilda's parents and Miss Trunchbull, are constantly calling other people names. These names include twit, midget, ignorant little squirt, witch, rat, blackhead, foul carbuncle, poisonous pustule, pirate, blister, nauseating little warts, ignorant little slug, empty-headed hamster, and witless weed, to name just a few. As you can see, while these names are rather cruel, they are quite clever and comical. The personal tone of the narration allows for the descriptions of the characters to be equally humorous and descriptive.