Shirley Jackson's "Charles" was originally published in a magazine and has since often been included in student anthologies. It is a short children's story told by a narrator about a boy, Laurie, and the troublesome boy, Charles, that he meets on his first day of kindergarten.
As the story unfolds, Laurie comes home each day describing disruptive behaviors that Charles displays each day. At home, the Charles stories become part of the household. Whenever someone trips or has similar troubles, they are held up in comparison to Charles. Eventually Charles does have some good days but then returns to his poor behaviors.
However, though interesting, these facts are not the reasons that Charles is so very interesting. Eventually Laurie's mother goes to school for a meeting hoping to meet the mother of the infamous Charles. Once there, she discovers from Laurie's teacher that there is no Charles...
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on the roster and that Laurie has been having some trouble at school. It seems in fact that Laurie and Charles are one in the same person. That is why Charles is such an interesting person.
References
Why is Charles amusing in Shirley Jackson's short story "Charles"?
Shirley Jackson's short story "Charles" is an ironic tale about a young boy's experience at school. Throughout the story, the narrator's son returns home and tells tales about a little boy in his class named "Charles" and his misdeeds: Charles yells at his teacher, throws chalk, and hits his classmates.
His mother is concerned because her "little boy" may be influenced negatively by this classmate, and she finally decides that she must meet Charles' mother. When she cannot find him at the Parent-Teacher meeting, she unwittingly approaches the teacher only to find out that there is not a boy named Charles in the class, but that the narrator's son is now a "fine little helper. With occasional lapses, of course." It is then that the narrator realizes her son is "Charles."
This is a prime example of situational irony. As you read the text, you may also believe that "Charles" is the bad influence and the bad seed. The humor is that the narrator never suspected her son could be the bad influence. Jackson is playing on a typical parental reaction: Parents don't believe their children are capable of doing wrong. "Not my child! Not my perfect little angel!" It is this common thread that makes the story believable, plausible, and amusing.