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Being remarkable and having the traits that never leaves one forgotten is what makes a memorable character. Such a character is Laurie, from Shirley Jackson’s story “Charles”. Laurie is the main character who possesses several interesting qualities that leave him memorable. Laurie’s intelligence is one such personality trait that makes him significant. Moreover, having flaws and being elusive also make him indelible and endearing to the reader. All in all, it is the combination of these traits that makes Laurie such a notable character.
Through extraordinary intelligence, the reader is able to understand how impressive Laurie is. In the story, Laurie explains to his parents that a boy, Charles, gets into trouble every day at school.
As the story progresses, the reader learns that Laurie has used his imagination to make up this boy. He did this in order to distract from the really bad behavior Laurie was displaying in school. At the same time, He has done this while bragging about it. Furthermore, Laurie is able to mislead and deceive throughout the book, never getting caught, due to his highly brilliant and believable stories. Nevertheless, these exceptional stories lead the reader to notice Laurie’s significance. Laurie is so manipulative he knows when to misbehave and when to be a good student, for example “’He gave the crayons around and he picked up the books afterward and the teacher said he was her helper’” (348). At such a young age, Laurie was able to figure out that behaving well would get him a good report at the upcoming PTA meeting. Throughout the story, his intelligence and ability to have flaws, lends the reader to recognize Laurie’s vitality and significance. During the story, Laurie has few barely noticeable flaws that show the reader how remarkable he is. When Laurie came home from school, he explained that Charles whispered a bad word into a student’s ear, causing her to get in trouble. This slight flaw shows Laurie makes mistakes because if the word was whispered, it is highly unlikely that he heard it. Also, this flaw makes the story more relatable because everyone can make a mistake in life. Laurie’s errors allow the reader to become disenchanted with the ignorance of his parents. Since they were easily fooled by Laurie’s plan to create an imaginary student, the audience gets pulled into the book because they know that Laurie is Charles. Accordingly, Laurie’s flaws made him very important to the reader because it shows that he is truly a five year old. “’Laurie did a Charles when he filled his wagon full of mud and pulled it through the kitchen”’ (348). This example shows that Laurie acts like the five year old, he is, due to the fact that he does not think of the consequences of the behavior he chooses. Throughout the story, Laurie’s flaws show he is very essential to the reader. Laurie’s elusiveness helped him stay out of trouble and makes him very unique to the reader. During the story, Laurie is able to keep his parents manipulated and entertained. He is able to keep them very interested and asking questions about Charles’ behavior instead of having them realize that it is Laurie who is in need of help. Also, Laurie was so skilled at what he is doing; he was able to keep a similar story while only changing up the actions performed by “Charles.” For three straight months, he told stories about behavioral issues and how he was the innocent one in class. To add on, when Laurie misbehaved, he would always change up what he did and how he did it. “’ Thursday Charles had to stand in the corner during story-time because he kept pounding his feet on the floor. Friday, Charles was deprived of blackboard privileges because he threw chalk”’ (346). By doing this, Laurie is very unpredictable and nobody could ever guess what he would do and when. The audience finds him unforgettable through the elusive acts he performs. In conclusion, Laurie from “Charles” is the exact definition of a noteworthy character. Due to his intelligence, the ability to have flaws, and elusiveness, readers are able to understand why Laurie is so essential. He is a manipulative five year old who had the imagination to create a character in order to mask his own bad behaviors. All in all, Shirley Jackson’s characterization of Laurie left an indelible mark on the reader and all types of audiences.
Have you ever felt so much guilt and shame that you want to kill yourself? Francis Cassavant in Heroes, by Robert Cormier, is a realistic and relatable character who has suffered from this feeling ever since he was little. Even as a child, he has felt unusual and out of place compared to everyone else. Francis’s characteristics determine his actions throughout his story and motivate him to join the army, beginning his expedition as a so-called “hero”.
The Other Wes Moore is a novel that shows the different paths of two different men, one successful and the other not so fortunate. We discovered their different identities and how their choices and role models effect their lives. Wes 1 was led by his brave, hard working mother and the great military men. He didn't make incredibly great decisions but the people in his life helped him turn into the successful man he is today.However, Wes 2 had a brother who dealt drugs. The novel guides you through the 8 crazy years that led to Wes Moore 1's success and Wes Moore 2's life sentence for prison.
“The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his” (Moore, 2011). This quote perfectly describes the book The Other Wes Moore. This book was a story about two people who have the same name and grew up in similar environments, but had very different lives. The author of the book, Mr. Moore, became successful and was given the opportunity to receive “one of the most prestigious academic awards for students in the world” (Moore, 2011). On the other side of the spectrum, the other Wes Moore “will spend every day until his death behind bars for an armed robbery that left a police officer and a father of five dead” (Moore, 2011). Mr. Moore decided to contact the
Passing Strange offers Martha Sandweiss’s perspective on the life of Charles King. Martha Sandweiss traits King an Intelligent,
The story is seen through the innocent eyes of a 13 year old boy called Charlie Bucktin. The first person central point of view helps us to understand Charlie, to identify with him and his attitudes and values and for reader positioning. Silvey uses language conventions such as descriptive language, dialogue, diction, register and imagery to construct Charlie’s point of view. Since we only see and know what Charlie does thus this helps us create and certain bond with him as he grows, learns, and faces new problems throughout the novel. The fact that Charlie is a teenager and the readers are provided with teenager reactions the teenager audience is able to identify with the character and why he does things that way. Charlie starts of as a the model son, ever the obedient never to do anything wrong… to eventually losing his innocence and naivety and having a better understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
“If you build it, he will come” (Kinsella 1). These words of an announcer jump start a struggle for Ray Kinsella to ease the tragic life of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Ray hears a voice of an announcer which leads him to build a baseball field that brings Shoeless Joe Jackson onto the field. However, this field puts his family on the verge of bankruptcy which is just one of the struggles Ray Kinsella is presented in his life. Shoeless Joe Jackson is no stranger to having no money, as he was only making a measly $1.25 as a kid struggling to support his family. He never attended school and was illiterate throughout his entire life. The struggle is completely the same with Ray Kinsella growing up, as he is forced into baseball, which ultimately makes him run away from home. Ray’s hate is Joes love. Joe loves baseball and makes it to the major leagues, but it doesn’t last. Joe’s career is cut short due to the fact he is accused of throwing the World Series, and banned from baseball forever. Rays’s father would have loved it if his son made it to the major leagues because he thought Ray had the potential and talent. However, his only dream was simple, he wanted to play a game of catch with his son, unfortunately, he passed away and he never got to see his son after he ran away. Shoeless Joe Jackson’s death wasn’t any better, as he died guilty of throwing the World Series which was the biggest sports tragedy to date. Tragedies are not uncommon phenomena, Ray Kinsella and Shoeless Joe Jackson have the unfortunate luck to go through a struggle fulfilled and uphill battle in what is suppose to be a wonderful thing, life.
Murderer, liar, manipulator; these are only a few words that describe the enigmatic Sergeant John Wilson. In the historical book, The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson: A True Story of Love & Murder, written by Lois Simmie, we get acquainted with the complex balancing act of a life John Wilson lived. We find out about his two-faced love life, the bloody solution, and the elaborate cover up. In Simmie’s thought-provoking book, John Wilson abandons his family in Scotland, for a better life in Canada on the force. John battles debilitating sickness along with the decision to double-cross his wife. His young love interest Jessie cares for him as he battles tuberculosis. While, “many young women Jessie’s age would have had second thoughts about commitment
Character- The main character Charlie is developed in many ways throughout the story. His whole demeanor changed from page one. He actually started smoking in the middle of the book. “When I light it, I didn’t cough. It actually felt soothing. I know that’s bad in a health class kind of way, but it was true.”-pg 102 His personality was different after that. He always tried to be friendly to anyone he met but if you weren’t nice to his friends he didn’t really respect them after that. His dialogue is very similar throughout the whole book. He is very friendly when he talks and tries to be polite. Charlie is trying to make friends and keep them. He succeeds with some coaching from his english teacher who Charlie calls Bill. Bill gave him books to read and graded Charlie’s reports. “He says that I have a great skill at reading and understanding language.”- pg 9-10. A’s showed on Charlie’s report card but Bill gave Charlie different grades. The books Bill gave Charlie changed his mind about a lot of things. Bill developed Charlie through the whole book.
To the 20, to the 10, to the 5, touchdown! Charlie Gaines is a football phanatic. He knows all there is to know about football. From his favorite team the Los Angeles Bulldogs to the New England Patriots Charlie knows it all. Above all this Charlie truly wishes he were a better football player like his bosom buddy Kevin Fallon. All in all he is still a decent middle linebacker for the Culver City Cardinals. A kid known as the “Brain” because of his freakishly good ability at fantasy football, Charlie Gaines is a very interesting character.
One of Miss Moore's defining qualities is her intelligence. Her academic skills and self-presentation is noticeable through her college degree and use of “proper speech” (Bambara, 385). Miss Moore also makes her intelligence evident from the methods she uses to teach Sylvia and the other children. Unlike planting them in classrooms, she takes them out on trips to show them the real world. Despite all the insults she receives from th...
Christopher Johnson McCandless, a.k.a Alexander Supertramp, “Master of his Own Destiny.” He was an intelligent young man who presented himself as alone but really he was never lonely. However, he believed that life was better lived alone, with nature, so he ventured off throughout western United States before setting off into Alaska’s wild unprepared where he died. Some may say he was naive to go off on such a mission without the proper food and equipment but he was living life the way he wanted to and during his travels he came across three people: Jan Burres, Ronald Franz, and Wayne Westerberg. McCandless befriended these people, it is believed that he made such a strong impression on them that their connection left them with strange feelings after finding out about McCandless’ death.
“[Suddenly there was a tremendous explosion, Doc and Roberts clutch at the desk] ‘Roberts: Oh, my God! Doc: He wasn’t kidding’”!(400) They turn around to find Ensign Frank Pulver wearing a tattered uniform and a blackened face. This just one of Frank Pulver’s many childish and naive stunts in the play Mister Roberts by Joshua Logan. Throughout the play, Frank Pulver is indirectly characterized as being immature and foolish through his actions, humor, and dialogue.
A character is just a character until given a chance to evolve. By evolving in a story the character becomes dynamic almost visually alive. That is what Old Phoenix undergoes in the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty. The audience follows Phoenix, an elderly Negro woman, on her strenuous journey from the far countryside to town. On this trip the audience watches Old Phoenix grow into a character that they begin to form a connection with allowing her to jump out at of the pages. This is accomplished through Welty’s use of physical description, action, and dialogue to bring Phoenix Jackson to life.
When Charlie was younger, his Aunt Helen molested him. That had a negative impact on Charlie’s life, considering he kept it a secret from everyone. He always found himself blaming for everything, which caused him to get depressed. Charlie’s depressive actions indicated that the event in which he was molested by his aunt show that child abuse has such a negative affect on the child that will last a lifetime. An online critic, Barbara Nicolosi, believes that child abuse has an affect by stating, “it is revealed that Charlie’s social dysfunction is actually rooted in his experience of child sexual abuse at the hands of a beloved aunt”. Because of Charlie’s difficult past having dealt with child abuse, he is not pleased to see his sister’s boyfriend slap her in the face. He tries to do something about it, but his sister defends her boyfriend telling Charlie not to tell anyone. Because of this event, Charlie is reminded of his Aunt Helen and his depression is triggered and begins having suicidal thoughts. Charlie then thinks of his aunt who abused him, causing him to get even more depressed. Child abuse is something that nobody should have to go through. Unfortunately, Charlie was victimized by his Aunt Helen and the thoughts haunt him to the point where he gets
The mind of a teenager is a strange commodity, and even more strange is the thought process of a fifteen year old by the name of Charlie. Charlie has been through hell in his life, and throughout the book, The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, he suffers even more. He has grown up relatively normal until the day his Aunt Helen died. His life was no longer the same from then on out. He distanced himself and repeatedly put himself in the hospital.