Charles

Charles

Literary Analysis: Point of View

Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. In a story told from the first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story who refers to himself or herself with first-person pronouns like I and me. In a story told from the third-person point of view, the narrator stands outside the story and refers to all the characters with third-person pronouns like he, she, and they. A first-person narrator can tell only what he or she sees, hears, knows, thinks, or feels. “Charles” is told from the first-person point of view of Laurie’s mother.

Open Ended

Briefly explain the narrator’s situation at the start of “Charles” by telling how she feels about Laurie’s going off to school.

Open Ended

Would you say the narrator has a sense of humor? Support your answer with details.

Open Ended

How does using this particular narrator help create a surprise ending?

Reading: Notice Details to Make Inferences

Making inferences means noticing details that an author provides and using them to make logical assumptions about the events, settings, themes, and other story elements that the author leaves unstated.

Reading: Notice Details to Make Inferences

Consider these details that Shirley Jackson provides about Laurie:

The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans with a belt; I watched him go off the first morning with the older girl next door, seeing clearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.

Reading: Notice Details to Make Inferences

From these details, you might make the following inferences:

• Before starting kindergarten, Laurie was a fairly sheltered and well-behaved child.

• Laurie grows less polite and more self-important, perhaps to mask his nervousness about starting kindergarten.

• Laurie is a strong-willed child able to insist on his own way.

• Laurie’s mother feels some regret as she recognizes that her son is growing up.

Open Ended

Make an inference about the information...

He came home the same way, the front door slamming open, his cap on the floor, and the voice suddenly become raucous shouting,

“Isn’t anybody here?”

Open Ended

Make an inference about the information...

The third day—it was Wednesday of the first week—Charles bounced a see-saw on the head of a little girl and made her bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside during recess. Thursday Charles had to stand in a corner during story-time because he kept pounding his feet on the floor.

Open Ended

Make an inference about the information...

“You know what Charles did today?” Laurie demanded at the lunch table, in a voice slightly awed. “He told a little girl to say a word and she said it and the teacher washed her mouth out with soap and Charles laughed.”

Multiple Choice

In the story “Charles,” what new experience is Laurie facing?

• starting kindergarten

• starting third grade

• having a new babysitter

• moving to a new town

Multiple Choice

In the beginning of “Charles,” how does Laurie behave as he leaves his mother?

• He is very sweet to his mother

• He seems less confident than usual

• He seems somewhat bad-mannered

• He seems shy and frightened

Multiple Choice

In “Charles,” who is I, or the narrator?

• Laurie

• Laurie's mother

• the teacher

• Charles

Multiple Choice

What can you infer from this description of Laurie’s behavior in “Charles”? At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby sister’s milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not to take the name of the Lord in vain.

• Laurie behaves well at home.

• Laurie does not behave well at home.

• Laurie behaves well at school.

• Laurie is clumsy.

Multiple Choice

Based on the details that Laurie gives his parents in “Charles,” what sort of boy is Charles?

• smart but unfriendly

• shy and sensitive

• adorable

• very badly behaved

Multiple Choice

According to “Charles,” in what way does Charles become an “institution” in Laurie’s house?

• The parents think Charles should be put in a mental institution.

• Laurie's family wants to help Charles.

• Anyone who makes a mess or causes trouble is said to be acting like Charles.

• Laurie talks about Charles so much that he seems like part of the family.

Multiple Choice

What can you infer from these details in “Charles”? “You know what Charles did today?” Laurie demanded at the lunch table, in a voice slightly awed. “He told a girl to say a word and she said it and the teacher washed her mouth out with soap and Charles laughed.”

• The little girls is mean.

• Charles is mean.

• Charles is rude to the teacher, but he is usually kind to his classmates.

• The little girls said something about the weather.

Multiple Choice

In “Charles,” how does Charles change in the third and fourth weeks of school?

• He stops talking.

• He agrees to do exercises in gym.

• He starts helping the teacher.

• He starts wearing his jacket.

Multiple Choice

In “Charles,” whom does Laurie’s mother look for at the PTA meeting?

• Charles

• Charles's mother

• Laurie's father

• the principal

Multiple Choice

How does the point of view help create the surprise ending to “Charles”?

• The narrator does not know the truth about Charles until the end.

• The narrator never gives any hints that Laurie behaves badly.

• The author tells many different characters’ thoughts and feelings.

• Laurie is so mischievous that he tricks the reader.