Shirley Jackson is a renowned author who is known for her ability to evoke feelings of unease in her readers. “Charles” is one of her most famous short stories, and it does not disappoint in terms of its ability to unsettle. The story follows a young boy named Charles as he navigates his way through the everyday challenges of life with his family. While Charles seems like a perfectly normal child at first, it quickly becomes apparent that there is something not quite right about him.
He has a disturbing habit of imitating the people around him, and he seems to take pleasure in making others uncomfortable. As the story progresses, Charles’s true nature is revealed and the reader is left feeling deeply uneasy. Shirley Jackson expertly uses characterization and setting to create a sense of unease in her reader, and “Charles” is a perfect example of her skill as a writer.
Laurie had an issue; he was getting into trouble at school. In Shirley Jackson’s “Charles,” Laurie was a little boy who lived with his mother, father, and newborn sister in the 1950s and went to kindergarten. He was only five years old when he started kindergarten and was having difficulty adjusting. Laurie also kept a secret, which would be revealed shortly.
Laurie’s secret was that he had an imaginary friend, Charles. Laurie would talk to Charles and play with him at home. His parents would often find him in his room, talking to himself. They thought it was just a phase that he would grow out of.
At school, Laurie was disruptive and would not listen to the teacher. He would talk to Charles during class and got in trouble for it. The other kids made fun of him and called him names. Laurie didn’t care, he liked Charles better than any of them anyway.
One day, after getting in trouble yet again, Laurie ran away from school. He went home and told his mother what happened. She was understanding and told him that he could talk to Charles as much as he wanted, but he had to be good at school.
Laurie took his mother’s advice and stopped talking to Charles at school. He focus on his studies and eventually caught up with his classmates. Laurie outgrew his imaginary friend and never spoke of him again.
While Shirley Jackson is best known for her horror stories, “Charles” is a heartwarming tale about a little boy and his imaginary friend. The story shows the importance of family and how they can help us through tough times.
Every day, after Laurie went to school, he would report on Charles, a boy in his class who was always misbehaving. After the first day of school, Laurie informed his parents that Charlie was paddled for being early to his instructor the next day. On the second day of school, when Laurie returned home from school and told his parents about Charles, a boy in his class who was constantly misbehaving, they became concerned.
And on the third day, Laurie came home and said that Charles was spanked again, this time for wetting his pants.
Laurie’s parents began to worry about Charles and they asked Laurie to try to be friends with him. Laurie didn’t want to be friends with Charles because he was always getting into trouble, but he did as his parents asked. Slowly but surely, Laurie and Charles became friends.
One day, after school, Laurie invited Charles over to his house to play. When Charles arrived, Laurie’s mother offered him a cookie and milk. Charles politely declined, saying that he wasn’t allowed to have milk or cookies before dinner. Laurie’s mother was surprised and asked Charles why he wasn’t allowed to have a snack before dinner. Charles explained that his mother said that it would spoil his appetite.
Laurie’s mother then asked Charles if he would like to stay for dinner. Charles said yes and Laurie’s mother called his parents to ask if it was okay. Charles’ parents said it was fine and so Charles stayed for dinner.
During dinner, Laurie’s father asked Charles about his family. Charles said that he had a mom and a dad, but that was all. When Laurie’s father asked if he had any brothers or sisters, Charles got quiet and didn’t say anything. Laurie’s mother asked if something was wrong and Charles said that he didn’t want to talk about it.
After dinner, Charles said that he had to go home. Laurie’s mother asked if he wanted to stay for dessert, but Charles said no and then quickly left.
Laurie’s mother was worried about Charles and she told Laurie’s father that she was going to call Charles’ parents. Laurie’s father said that maybe she should wait and see if Charles comes back tomorrow. Laurie’s mother said that she didn’t want to wait, but she agreed to wait one day.
The next day after school, Laurie came home and told his mother that Charles didn’t come to school. Laurie’s mother called Charles’ parents and found out that Charles had run away from home.
Laurie’s mother was very worried about Charles and she felt like it was her fault that he ran away. Laurie’s father told her that it wasn’t her fault and that they would find Charles.
Laurie’s mother put up flyers around town and she even offered a reward for anyone who could find Charles. A few days later, a police officer came to Laurie’s house and said that they had found Charles. He was hiding in a storage shed at the back of a grocery store.
When Laurie’s mother went to pick up Charles, she asked him why he ran away from home. Charles said that he didn’t want to live with his mom and dad anymore because they were always fighting. Laurie’s mother asked if he wanted to live with them, and Charles said yes.
So, Charles moved in with Laurie and his family. And even though he was still getting into trouble from time to time, they loved him just the same.
