Student Question

How does the story "Charles" create an ironic twist?

Quick answer:

The story "Charles" creates an ironic twist by revealing that Charles, the mischievous child Laurie describes from school, doesn't exist. Laurie tells detailed stories about Charles's bad behavior, leading readers to expect a real child behind the antics. However, at a PTA meeting, Laurie's mother learns from the teacher that there is no Charles in the class. This twist reveals that Laurie himself was the troublemaker, creating an unexpected and ironic conclusion.

Expert Answers

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Irony is created when what actually happens is very different, even the opposite of, what we expect to happen. Laurie comes home, day after day, talking about all the terrible things that someone named Charles does at school. The stories are fairly detailed and always include whatever punishment Charles received from the teacher. At one point, Charles's behavior seems to improve, but he secretly begins to persuade other children to utter obscenities or act out (he is not caught). Laurie's mother would love to go to the school for a meeting one night, but the baby gets sick, and she has no opportunity to seek out Charles's mother.

Finally, when she does get to go and meet the teacher at a PTA meeting, the teacher tells her that there is no Charles in the kindergarten class! The reader gathers, then, that Charles is really Laurie himself, as the teacher mentions that Laurie had some "trouble" adjusting but has been doing better recently. We expect, perhaps, to learn something about poor Charles—why he behaves the way he does—only to learn that he is made up! Definitely an ironic twist.

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