Laurie is a precocious Kindergartener who creates a fictional classmate named Charles, to cover up his inappropriate behavior at school. Laurie, from the short story “Charles” by Shirley Jackson, is a memorable character due to his many outstanding personality traits. Laurie’s mischievous behavior is one character trait that makes him unforgettable. In addition, his intelligence and his disrespect for his parents portray how essential Laurie is in the story. All in all, it is the collection of these traits that make Laurie such an indelible character.
Laurie’s mischievous personality leads to multiple rude encounters with his mother and father. For instance, upon arriving home from his first day of school, Laurie ate lunch and talked with his parents. During lunch, he spilled his sister’s milk. Laurie proceeded to talk without a
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hesitation, or an apology. After continuing the discussion, Laurie then walked out of the room without yet being dismissed, leaving readers to remember his troublesome actions. Another example of his misbehavior occurs during a scene where Laurie is talking with his father after his second day of school, and he insults him. Laurie recites a saying he learned in school, where he tricks his father into playing along. He punctuates the rhyme by calling his father dumb, and then laughs hysterically. This sign of rude and insidious behavior when speaking to his father, is noteworthy. Additionally, later in the story the family references some of their misbehaviors, referring to them as a Charles. “Laurie did a Charles when he filled his wagon full of mud and pulled it through the kitchen”(348). When Laurie pulls the wagon through the house, his action signifies his insolent behavior. This shows his troublesome personality. These incidents show Laurie’s ignorant attitude towards his parents and others. His mischievous character is a vital part of the story, because not only does it hook the reader, it allows them to make inferences about the relationship between Laurie and Charles at the end of the story Laurie’s precociousness sets the story in motion, and allows the reader to realize just how intelligent Laurie truly is. When Laurie enters his house after his first day of school, he spontaneously makes up the story of an imaginary classmate whose behavior disrupts the classroom. Laurie is able to come up with the entire story of Charles in only a few short minutes, adding detailed information about Charles and his daily antics. Laurie’s intelligence is demonstrated when he quickly thinks of this story, giving the reader a better sense of his cunning nature. Towards the middle of the story, Laurie describes an in depth account of Charles hitting the teacher. Laurie says Charles hit the teacher because he wanted to use a green crayon instead of a red crayon when coloring. Laurie’s in depth description, including details like this, not only makes the story believable, but it surprises the reader, showing Laurie’s level of inventiveness. Another sign of Laurie’s brilliance is when he comes home late from school in the middle of the story, and his father asks about Charles. “‘What does this Charles look like? What’s his other name?’” /“‘He’s bigger than me… and he doesn’t have any rubbers and he doesn’t ever wear a jacket”’(347). Laurie’s intelligence is shown when he answers his father’s first question regarding the boys looks, but is smart enough to not answer his father’s second question about the boy’s name. Therefore, Laurie avoids revealing Charles’ last name to his parents. Laurie’s precociousness provides much action in the story. When Laurie interacts with his parents he is extremely rude and disrespectful, creating memorable moments in the story.
In the beginning of the story, Laurie walks to school on his first day and does not wave to his mother. Laurie reaches the corner, and instead of stopping to wave goodbye, he continues on to school. The insolence he shows his mother is vital to the story, because it shows Laurie’s true character. Another way Laurie demonstrates disrespect is the way he speaks to his parents. The author describes how Laurie gets home from his first day of school; he has lunch, and talks to his parents. He speaks “coldly” to his parents, and then leaves the room without listening to what his father is saying. Furthermore, Laurie arrives home late from detention, and greets his parents impolitely. While sitting down for lunch, Laurie climbs into his chair at the table. “‘Hi, Pop, y’old dust mop”’(347). When Laurie greets his father, he is extremely rude. Laurie’s disrespect for his parents, especially the way he greets them, makes an impact on the reader. Overall, Laurie shows great dishonesty and rudeness to his
parents. In summary, the character Laurie from the short story “Charles”, is an extremely memorable character due to the remarkable personality traits he demonstrates. Readers are able to recognize Laurie as a mischievous, precocious, and disrespectful young boy who is significant to the story. All in all, Laurie’s character sets the story in motion, and invites readers to enter the world of his Kindergarten mind, thereby leaving an everlasting mark on the reader.
In the first paragraph the story description of the main characters, Aunt Greta who will be the the boy’s role model through out the story. You
In the short story, “The Intruder”, by Andre Dubus, the main character, Kenneth, experiences changes that affect his relationships with his family and himself. Even though thirteen-year-old boys undergo quite a few changes in this time of their life, Kenneth goes through even more shifts in his world during this story. As Kenneth avoids sharing his imagination with his family, hides his sister, Connie’s, secrets for her, and shoots Connie’s boyfriend, Kenneth’s way of relating with the people in his life is affected drastically. In “The Intruder”, the effect of Kenneth and his family’s actions are shown through the changes Kenneth undergoes.
In a restaurant, picture a young boy enjoying breakfast with his mother. Then suddenly, the child’s gesture expresses how his life was good until “a man started changing it all” (285). This passage reflects how writer, Dagoberto Gilb, in his short story, “Uncle Rock,” sets a tone of displeasure in Erick’s character as he writes a story about the emotions of a child while experiencing his mother’s attempt to find a suitable husband who can provide for her, and who can become a father to him. Erick’s quiet demeanor serves to emphasis how children may express their feelings of disapproval. By communicating through his silence or gestures, Erick shows his disapproval towards the men in a relationship with his mother as he experiences them.
The short story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros, focuses around the main character Rachel as an insecure developing girl who lacks the experience to handle everyday encounters. Rachel, an eleven year old girl truly encapsulates the thoughts that are present within an adolescent. The lack of confidence in herself, excessive fear of being judged, and ideas of growing up are ideals that are relevant within each and every one of us. The reader is able to relate to Rachel because her feelings and experiences that are described by the author are similar to what most people have been through and are currently experiencing. The characterization of Rachel is expressed through the author’s usage of point of view, imagery, and repetition.
Often when children are spoiled, they develop a sense of superiority to those around them. However, after leaving the closed environment of a household, the need for authority and supremacy can create unintended consequences imbedded with sorrow. The fallout from this misfortune is seen in “Why I Live at the P.O.” in the family quarrel that ensues due to the return of Stella-Rondo. Throughout the narration, the author asserts that because, the world is apathetic to one’s dilemmas, a shielded and pampered upbringing can only hamper personal development. Through the denial of truth that the family exhibits in attempts to improve relations and through the jealousy that Sister experiences as inferior to Stella-Rondo, the source of hindered maturity
In every story, there is a lesson that can come from it, even when the story was written in a time as far back as 1793. Laurie Anderson, author of the novel “Fever 1793” had used many lessons in her writing. One of which was used multiple times and has helped her characters, especially one by the name of Matilda, tremendously. The lesson is that paying attention and grasping all knowledge available during one’s life experience, then, later on, that knowledge and experience can become useful. Keeping in mind that the lesson can be used anywhere anytime, Anderson used the lesson in this time period to really show how helpful it can be. Back in 1793, Philadelphia, the setting of Anderson's novel, was going through a tragic and difficult time.
Short stories usually convey a theme message, a statement which motivates the reader to be a more moral person. In order for the reader to understand this life lesson, authors implant different literary devices such as foreshadowing and conflict into their stories. Foreshadowing is the use of clues to suggest events that may occur later in the story, and conflict is when there is a struggle between two opposing forces. In Charles by Shirley Jackson and The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov, the authors use foreshadowing and conflict to enhance the story's ultimate meaning and to keep readers absorbed in the story.
The Catcher in the Rye is not all horror of this sort. There is a wry humor in this sixteen-year-old's trying to live up to his height, to drink with men, to understand mature sex and why he is still a virgin at his age. His affection for children is spontaneous and delightful. There are few little girls in modern fiction as charming and lovable as his little sister, Phoebe. Altogether this is a book to be read thoughtfully and more than once. It is about an unusually sensitive and intelligent boy; but, then, are not all boys unusual and worthy of understanding? If they are bewildered at the complexity of modern life, unsure of themselves, shocked by the spectacle of perversity and evil around them - are not adults equally shocked by the knowledge that even children cannot escape this contact and awareness?
An author’s contributions to the world of literature are many times welcomed as a brilliant piece of work or a genius accomplishment. However, during the life of Shirley Jackson, her stories were many times received poorly due to their dark nature or their pedestrian humor. Even her most famous work, “The Lottery”, was met with outrage and criticism by Americans and literary critics. During her time, horror and humor were seen as minor writings that no one took much notice of. In Janet M. Ball’s analysis of Shirley Jackson, she states that, “Because Jackson chose to handle unusual topics, such as psychosis and ghostly apparitions, some literary critics relegated her to minor status.” (1). Even though she was disregarded during her own time,
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.
Every person reaches a point in their lives when they must define themselves in relation to their parents. We all come through this experience differently, depending on our parents and the situation that we are in. For some people the experience comes very early in their lives, and can be a significant life changing experience. In William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” Colonel Sartoris Snopes must decide either to stand with his father and compromise his integrity, or embrace honesty and morality and condemn his family. This is a difficult decision to make, especially for a ten year old boy that has nothing outside of what his father provides. Sarty’s decision to ultimately betray his father is dependent on his observation of Abner’s character and the conflict he feels concerning Abner.
The movie begins with the family and parenting styles concept of child development by introducing the audience to the main character James and his parents. James lives in a two-parent household with his authoritative parents who are providing him with warmth, love, and encouragement (Levine & Munsch, pp. 521-522). This concept of parenting styles is shown as the movie begins and James is seen spending time with his parents. Then suddenly, James’ world changes and he is abandoned as a result of his parents being killed. This causes James to become orphaned and forced to live with his authoritarian aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge are very controlling towards James and expect him to obey their rules without allowing him to express his feelings. This authoritarian behavior is seen throughout the movie. Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge are also uninvolved, neglectful, and abusive, using verbal and physical punishment on James when they feel it’s necessary, which is also seen throughout the movie (Levine & Munsch, p. 522). These behaviors cause James to develop lower self-esteem, show less intellectual curiosity, and feel lonely and afraid, which are typical outcomes of an authoritarian parenting approach (Levine & Munsch, pp. 521-523). Although James’ aunts’ authoritative parenting style has an effect on his emotional and social behaviors, it is his parents authoritative parenting that plays a...
Children are taught that the principal is their friend and that the police men are there to help. As a child one is taught, protected, and cared for by their parents. As those parents become older, there is a regression where the parent almost becomes the child and the child the parent. In J.D. Salinger?s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the adults whom Holden Caulfield appreciates are childlike and helpless.
The children couldn’t accept what they thought was so horrible. There was a lot of ignorance and carelessness portrayed throughout this short story. The theme of ungratefulness was revealed in this story; The author depicted how disrespecting someone can inturn feed you with information you may wish you never knew and how someone can do one wrong thing and it immediately erases all the good things a person did throughout their
...d in the narration. This is ultimately left to the sub-text, of what is left unsaid. It is quite clear where the author stands on the issues the short story raises, and through the naïveté in the children's perspective presented in the narrator's recollections, an intense and vivid resemblance to reality in this very retrospection, and the narrative sequencing that remorselessly directs the story towards the concluding tragedy - a powerful and scathing, if not sober, social critique on the nature of tradition, adhering to correct social behaviour and resistance to change is shaped and conveyed.