Has anybody read the book "Charles" by Shirley Jac

blue_zf · Post by **blue_zf** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:58 am

Charles by Shirley Jackson - if charles was your young son, how would you disipline him for his misbehavor?
for those who haven't read it... it is about a boy in kindergarden and everyday he comes home and tells his parents about all the bad things that charles (a boy in his class) has done, when the PTA rolls around, his parents go to the teacher to ask about charles but the teacher tells them that she does not have a charles in the class.. then his parents relize that it was their son who have been doing all the bad things..
the boy is around 5.
And , why did Laurie invent Charles?

greelights · Post by **greelights** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 10:38 pm

Well, what are your thoughts on the matter? Jackson is addressing a very common psychological reaction to this sort of behavior. Some sort of punishment would be in order, but also as a parent I would want to know why my child felt the need to create an alter ego to discuss the problems at home (fear? confusion?).

I read "The Lottery" a long time ago...