Name____Katerina Christopoulos_________________
Period__1__
Date_9/22/10____
ELEMENTS OF FICTION 2010
1. TITLE (Short story titles in quotation marks!)
“Charles”
2. AUTHOR
Shirley Jackson
3. SETTING (Time/Place/Mood)
The story takes place in a kindergarten class and times at Laurie’s home. It takes place in the
mid 1970’s. It describes the boy wearing blue jeans with a belt with no jacket. The overall mood
of the story is anxious, exhilarating, and incredulously. Twentieth century. Autumn/Sept.
4. CHARACTERIZATION
(Identify and briefly describe protagonist/antagonist and other major characters)
Laurie: a typical five year old. He is humorous of making all the exaggerations up at school with
his mother finding out that he is Charlie. There was no Charlie in the kindergarten class as told
by Laurie’s teacher at the P.T.A. meeting. He renounced his overalls with bibs and put that away.
He changed his way of looking unique in a different way. He began wearing blue jeans and a
belt. Wore no jacket. He is starting his first time at Kindergarten. Is a bad influence of the class
and tells his parents that it is some other kid in his class doing all the bad consequences. His
parents start to become pre-cautious.
Laurie’s Mom- worried, protective, 1st person narrartor
Charlie/Laurie- kindergarten; insolent
5. POINT OF VIEW (Identify Narrator)
____1st person
____3rd person
Character ____Laurie’s Mom/Laurie____________
6. PLOT (Brief Summary)
Laurie is starting his first day at Kindergarten. He chooses a different look for himself. He wears
blue jeans, a shirt, and a belt. He nor did not even bother too wear a jacket. Walked out of the
front door of the house without giving a farewell goodbye to his parents. Laurie came home with
a serious expression on his face saying in a high tone “Isn’t anyone here”. He was asked by his
mother of how his school day was and if it went smoothly. Laurie said in a high voice I didn’t
learn anything. He threw his cap at the ground angrily with temperament. Laurie’s father asked
him, “Did you learn anything”. Laurie responded by saying a boy got spanked. He said the boy
had a fresh mouth towards the teacher. As weeks went on the same thing occurred the boy
Charles kept getting accused of his consequences. Laurie’s mother and father became very
suspicious. One day Laurie came to the lunch table speaking of saying the boy Charles was
doing good deeds at school. He was the teacher’s helper and got an apple. Laurie’s mother
wanted to meet Charles mother. At a P.T.A. meeting came up at the school Laurie’s mother went
with a suspicious look examining the other members faces closely. They didn’t look haggard
enough. At the end Laurie’s mom meets his teacher and asks, “you must have your hands full in
that kindergarten ,with Charles. The teacher had a surprised face. She said their was no Charles
in her kindergarten class.
7. CENTRAL CONFLICT
The central conflict is that Laurie’s mother and father get suspicious about their son Laurie’s
kindergarten class. As told by Laurie he said there was a kid in his class named Charles who
disrespected his teacher and class mates and caused him to be a bad influence. Laurie’s parents
want to meet his mother to see what she looks like and what kind of a parent she is.
8. CLIMAX
The turning point in the story is that Laurie’s parents find out by his teacher that there is no
Charles in the Kindergarten class. Laurie’s mother finds out that she was lied by her son and was
told a story that her son was being the bad influence among the other kids in his class and he was
in the position of consequences.
9. RESOLUTION
The resolution of the story is that it is resolved by the unexpected twist at the end when Laurie’s
mother and father meet with his kindergarten teacher and ask about a student named Charles.
The teacher had an unexpected look on her face when the parents asked,” how are the handling
of the one student in your class is going”. She said there is No Charles in the Kindergarten. The
parents of Laurie fix this situation by talking to their son Laurie. He got the impression that they
knew what was going on and going to happen. Laurie was doing all the horrible things and
sayings at school. He started to stop and just move on. Laurie begins to adjust. Mom learns the
truth about her son.
10. THEME
Lying and bad behavior leads to consequences or misjudgment.
11. OTHER DEVICES/TECHNIQUES (Irony, suspense, foreshadowing, flashback, etc.)
The irony in “Charles” is that Laurie’s parents are very suspicious of Laurie’s actions and
behavior in school and out of school. Including the lunch table when his parents asked him
questions about his time at school and Charles. His parents wanted to know who Charles was and
his mother. There was surprise turning out to be that Laurie acting as Charles role. Were told by
his teacher that there is no record keeping of a Charles in Kindergarten.
12. PERSONAL EVALUATION
I really liked this story because it was filled with anxiousness, exhilaration, and optimistic. If I
were in Laurie’s position I would’ve immediately told my parents that I was in the position of
disobeying the teacher and receiving consequences for it. I learned my lesson and obeyed the
teacher with respect and authority.