Share your literary essay with the rest of the students that chose this short story. Take some time to read 2 or 3 other essays. Comment on them. Your comment should be about something you noticed them doing well from our lessons. For example, "You did a really good job explaining your evidence."
Charles is a short story by Shirly Jackson that takes place at school. The story focuses on the bad thing that happens during school. A five year old in kindergarten, Laurie, is such a bad child. Because he’s the one that lies throughout the story. When he goes to school, he hits the teacher and his teacher spanked him. Charles was awfully fresh. Wednesday, he bounced a see-saw to the head of a little girl and made her bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside all during recess. Thursday, he had to stand in the corner during storytime because he was pounding his feet on the floor. Friday, Charles was deprived of blackboard privileges because he threw chalk. However, his teacher sees him as a bad student. In the story, the author repeats the days of the week.
ReplyDeleteThe problem that the character faces is that parents were confused about all the things Laurie was telling them. They believed Charles was real. It was Laurie the whole time. Laurie is related to the problem because although he's the one who is doing bad things. I think the teacher should’ve told Laurie’s parents instead of Laurie telling them it was someone else doing it. Charles' parents were judging that kids are so terrible. They said that because after all the toughness and bad grammer Laurie told them, they thought that Charles was a bad influence.
The theme of this short story might be responsibility because in the story, Laurie lies to his parents when he should’ve taken responsibility and told his parents it was him the whole time. When the author says “corduroy overalls with bibs” he creates imagery because it gives an image to the character. The use of imagery in the text shows the theme by using figurative language. “Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Monday” creates repetition because the author repeats the days of the week.
At the end of the story, Laurie's parents have a meeting and they talk about charles and all the bad grammer. They tell his parents that there aren't any charles in kindergarten. The events that happened were a lie. Laurie was charles. The main idea of this short story is doing what’s right because doing what's wrong can be bad and have a bad influence on others. For a kindergartener, you shouldn’t be doing bad things and telling your parents it was someone else. Not only does doing what's right makes you a better person, it also lets others know that you’re a very good person.
Charles
ReplyDelete“Charles”, a short story by Shirley Jackson, is about a kindergartener named Laurie. First thing to remember is that Laurie makes up an imaginary boy who is blamed for all the mischief. I believe the theme of this short story is telling the truth will benefit you in the end. The narrator of this story is Laurie's mother. This short story includes imagery and repetition.
One of several figurative language moves in this story was repetition. For example, Laurie came home everyday and told his parents about Charles. He repeated or made a habit of coming home and telling his parents. In detail, Shirley Jackson used this to show the theme by showing that he did something wrong everyday. This was just building a larger lie; which made the impact so much greater in the end.
One other figurative language move used was imagery. I decided to demonstrate imagery by showing this part of the story. “He climbed down from his chair and squatted down and touched his toes.” This, I believe was imagery because it makes me picture an image of charles in class.
Laurie is a very loud and rude child; however, he also has a creative imagination. He would have to in order to create Charles. Though Laurie does do a good job of pretending charles is real, he does a bad job of not keeping his mom home instead of going to the PTA meeting; which reveals the truth.
Another subtopic I decided to use was dialogue; for example, “I suppose this time it's charles’ influence.” “Charles?” says the teacher. You must have your hands full in that kindergarten, with charles.” “We don't have a charles.” This shows the theme of this short story because it proves that charles was made up. However, some may argue that the theme could be that his parents overlooked their own mistakes with their own child. It could also be argued that the parents should have “cut the other parents some slack.”
In conclusion, Laurie will not be benefitted by his decision to lie to his parents and misbehave. This shows that lying is bad and that the theme could be telling the truth is most likely the best option. So, it is better to tell the truth because it will benefit you in the end.
“Charles” is a short story that takes place in a kindergarten classroom and Laurie’s house. This story is unique because the main character Laurie misbehaves in the class but lies to his parents saying its a boy named charles. The mom and the dad find this “charles very interesting and Laurie’s mom wants to meet charles mom. Every day when Laurie comes home he says what charles did. For these reasons the author teaches why you should be honest and why you shouldn't lie. For these reasons “Charles” has many scieneros of lying.
ReplyDeleteLater in the story whenever anyone in Laurie’s family does something wrong they say, “you did a charles.” Everything “Charles” did kept getting worse and worse. The first day “Charles” was only fresh with the teacher. So he got spanked but further and further into the story he started to swear or throw chalk. But about three weeks into kindergarten “Charles changed. Laurie told his mom and dad that Charles was the teachers helper. Laurie said he got an apple for helping and his mom and dad were so surprised. “What?” “I said and my husband added warmly,” “You mean Charles?” Laurie also added that Charles helped pick up the crayons.
For the whole third week of kindergarten “Charles was the teachers helper. In fact “Charles seemed to not misbehave anymore. The mom and dad could not believe their ears. But surprisingly not surprisingly next week “Charles went back to his old self. Next week on monday there would be a P.T.A at the school and Laurie’s parents could not wait to meet “Charles” mom. They said, “I want to get a good look at her.” Assuming that Charles mom was the worst mom ever. Even after they said that they included, “If only she’s there,” “I said prayfully.” “She’ll be there,” “I don't see how they could hold a meeting without charles mother.” Acting like charles mom was a horrible person.
This story also includes imagery. The short story “Charles” shows imagery by charles expressing his feelings to the teachers helper. He shows this by saying how much he hates the exercises. The example is: “Naah,” Laurie said. “Charles was so fresh to the teachers friend he wasn't able to do exercises.” This shows imagery because Laurie explains to his parents just how rude “Charles was to the teachers friend creating a clear image in their head.
At the end of the story during the P.T.A meeting the Laurie’s parents talk to the kindergarten teacher saying she must have her hands full with charles. With a confused voice the teacher says, “We dont have any charles in the kindergarten.” At this point the parents relize their mistakes because they made fun of charles and her mother. They said she was so bad and they couldnt wait to meet her but in the end they knew that Laurie was really charles. In conclusion “Charles” theme is honesty for all the times that Laurie lied to his parents.
The short story “Charles” written by Shirely Jackson is a short story about a little boy named Laurie. This story is about his journey that he takes through kindergarten with a few twists. Throughout this story the author uses the twists to show the theme of honesty, and that sometimes lying can get you in trouble.
ReplyDeleteLaurie is not his normal self at the beginning of the story. He spoke insolently to his father at lunch and was using very poor grammar. He then was telling a story about a boy named “Charles.” “Charles” is a naughty kid who was being “fresh” with the teacher as Laurie said. Now his parents actually believed their son. However what they didn’t realize was that Laurie was lying to them. He was lying about “Charles.” Laurie was the one who was being naughty, not “Charles.” Laurie the character himself shows the theme of honesty. Him not being honest, shows why you should be later in the story.
The author then brings in the fact of irony. Since Laurie was lying to his parents, his parents were then saying how the parents of “Charles” must be terrible parents. Towards the end of the story Laurie’s parents realize that they were talking about themselves as parents. Which was very ironic.
Ms Jackson also uses repetition in this story to show the theme. The author keeps repeating how Laurie comes home everyday, and talks about all the bad behavior that “Charles” did. With that repeating over and over again, it makes you think why would the author keep adding that detail? She keeps adding that detail because she wants you to know all of the bad behavior that “Charles” was doing, and how it can lead people to assumptions. Just like Laurie's parents did.
At the very end of the story Laurie’s mom found out the truth about “Charles.” She had a conversation with Laurie's teacher. “You must have your hands full in that kindergarten with Charles” said his mom. The teacher then responded with “Charles?” “We don’t have a Charles in kindergarten.” It was at that point in the story where Laurie’s mom found out her son was lying. Some may argue that the theme is doing the right thing at this instance. However the author is telling you the conversation between Laurie’s mom and teacher. If Laurie would have been honest with his mom, the conversation between his mother and teacher would have never happened.
There was another instance in the story where Laurie was having a conversation with his parents. At lunch he said “A teacher spanked a boy though.” At that point Laurie started lying to his parents about a boy named “Charles.” The author uses many instances throughout this short story where Laurie could have told the truth, but chose not to.
When the author put in the conversation with Laurie’s teacher, and the conversation between Laurie and his parents; In that case it’s showing you the trouble that Laurie did, and makes you think of all of the possible consequences that Laurie will have. The author ended the story in a spot where it makes you think that question; How much trouble will Laurie be in for not telling the truth? The author doing that proves my point of lying can get you in trouble.
Charles is a story made by Shirley Jackson. In Charles, there is a family of four, Mom, Dad, baby sister, and a son in kindergarten. It was the first day of kindergarten, Laurie’s parents had sent him off to school. It was only a half-day, but it had seemed like forever for his parents. When he got home he had a story about how a kid in his class named Charles had been spanked today. Then Laurie walked away. The following day everything was normal again except after school it was Charles, again. Laurie had new similar stories every single day. This is when his parents started to get anxious about him returning home from school and scared for his safety at school. However, the question they should be asking is, “Who is Charles”?
ReplyDeleteEveryday Laurie comes home from school with these new strange stories. Laurie’s parents are awed by these stories, and start to wonder if Laurie is learning some bad habits from his fellow classmate. One afternoon when Laurie finally comes home from school he was talking to his parents about how his day had been. This is when Laurie exclaimed with annoyance to his father ¨I did not learn nothing¨. This part starts to show how Laurie is beginning to be sassy to his parents, and mean.
Later in the story, he walks into his house, he then yells to his dad who was sitting at the kitchen counter ¨Hi pop, y’old dust mop. Although this part could show more meanness, and disrespect toward his parents the text actually shows does show how his parents need to pick up clues and stop believing him that Charles is this awful kid.
Next, after the bad grammar starts the beginning of some of his bad actions at his house and to his family. This is also where I think of the theme of don’t judge people until you know them starts to pop out. First Laurie decides that every day when he walks in the door he is going to slam the door and yell until someone answers him. After this, he starts to do random bad things like pulling mud-filled wagons through his house getting mud everywhere.
Lastly one day he got home from school, and he was walking through his kitchen when he purposely knocked his sister’s milk off of her chair. His parents had finally had enough of his actions and started to talk about him. “Laurie is starting to look like Charles his mom had finally stated. Laurie’s father had agreed, and they realized they needed to do something.
ReplyDeleteFinally in the story Charles they started to use imagery, and dialogue to help us imagine the theme. They used this to help us readers find the ending of the story before the story was over, and made the ending all make sense. Laurie came home from his third day of school with another story about Charles, but today he had an explanation about what he was like. “He is fresh, Awfully fresh he had stated to his parents. “He bigger than me, and get this he doesn’t wear a coat or rubbers either. This part really started to help us imagine, and see who Charles really is as a person.
Along with that at the beginning of every single day, they say the same thing the same words. On Monday, On Tuesday, On Thursday, they use this to really exclaim how Charles is bad every day, and how his behavior is always bad. After this, at the very end before Laurie’s mom was about to go in, and talk to Laurie’s teacher about who Charles is, and how they are going to handle his behavior. After this part, Laurie came home with new stories about Charles is now good, and the teacher’s helper.
In the concluding part of the book, Laurie’s mom comes into his school to finally talk about how Laurie is doing in school. This is when the teacher told her that Laurie at the beginning of the year took a while to warm up to school, but now he is her little helper. Then his mom asks about the kid Charles in his class, The teacher then says “we don’t have a Charles in our class so that is kind of strange. At this point, I am sure his mom was shocked, and I couldn’t imagine what she had been feeling know that Charles wasn’t a person and all of this time I have been judging his parent when that parent is me.
Essay charles
ReplyDelete“Chaeles in a short story written by Shirley Jackson this event took place some years ago in Great britain. A couple of things that make the story unique and cool,are that all throughout this short story the parents are trusting him and believing that he’s telling the truth. But he’s really not. Throughout this story Laurie makes up this fake kid named charles and tells his parents about how fresh he is and how he makes bad choices. I think the author uses this short story to show the theme trust.
One way the author showed the theme was through the ‘’plot’’. The first thing that happened was Laurie came home all week and told his family stories about charles. It got to the point where his parents believed charles was real and if one of the family members acted up the mom or dad would say “your pulling a charles”.Another way the author used plot to identify theme, Was the parent’s couldn't wait for laurie to get home to hear these stories. That part shows how much they believe Charles was a real kid.
Another example the author used was dialogue. In the story the the author wrote “when laurie’s mom talked to the teacher about charles the teacher tells her that charles isn’t real. In this part of the story it shows his mom and teacher both have faith in him. One last example of dialogue was “charales was so fresh to the teachers friend”in that part laurie was telling his parents about charles and how he’s fresh but laurie’s the one thats actually the one being and doing all these bad things that he’s doing in school and not listening to the teacher. But during the story the author shows the theme trust by putting dialogue between laurie and the family about charles and how he's fresh.
The last example the author used was figurative language. In the short story the author describes the days all through the week and shows how laurie tells his parents different stories about charles and other stories he made up. Another way Shirley used figurative language was through imagery . In the beginning of the story Jackson describes Laurie as a casual kindergartener.
Trust is a very important thing in our lives. The author shows this by showing how laurie’s parents trusted him and believed him that he was telling the truth but he wasn't so he broke there trust and its very hard to earn someone’s trust onece its broken.
“Charles” by Shirley Jackson is a short story that takes place within Laurie’s first weeks of kindergarten. One of the main characters named Charles is the class trouble maker. This story is about Laurie coming home from school and telling his parents all about Charles; The author uses the conversations to convey that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear because there really wasn’t a Charles in the first place.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, the parents had already picked up that Laurie had changed, with the first day of school. Laurie had already stopped wearing certain clothes and showed less empathy towards his parents. Evidence of this is a “swaggering character who forgot to wave goodbye to me”. In other words, is just showing his change. During his first couple of weeks going home to his parents and telling them about Charles. It had basically become a routine of Charles lapses. This could be interpreted as changing but it clearly means don’t believe everything you hear because of Laurie lying to his parents about their being a Charles in the kindergarten.
But when the parent-teacher conference was coming up Charles was getting better leaving Laurie less to say about him. Evidence of this is “During the fourth week it looked like a reformation of Charles” In this case probably just because of the P.T.C
The author had implemented symbolism in the book by symbolizing Laurie’s bad side as Charles to his parents. Evidence of that is shown by Laurie saying Charles was being bad every day but in the end, Laurie’s kindergarten teacher told his mother that there wasn’t a Charles in the kindergarten.
Lastly, the author included some figurative language inside the story like when Laurie greeted his dad with “ Hi pop you old dust mop” which is a metaphor between his and Laurie which shows his change. The irony was also implemented in the fact that the parents were judging Charles and his parents but it ended up being them. Shirley Jackson really showed that the parents shouldn’t have believed Laurie about Charles in the first place.
When Laurie’s mother was at the parent-teacher conference she was anxious to talk to the teacher about Charles. Though during the conversation she was told that there wasn’t a Charles in the kindergarten all along. Laurie had made him up and lied to his parents which again shows don’t believe everything that you here.