"Charles" by Shirley Jackson

How can the reader tell that Charles has made an impact in Laurie’s family?

• Laurie tells his family about Charles’s misbehavior.
• They refer to each other as “Charles” when they behave badly.
• The mother is unable to attend the first PTA meeting at school.
• Laurie starts wearing shirts and a belt when he starts kindergarten.

What conclusion can the reader draw about the mother?

• She is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of parenthood.
• She does not think that Laurie’s father is a good parent
• She is concerned about how Laurie’s teacher treats children
• She does not want to believe that Laurie can be naughty.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.5.3

What conclusion can the reader draw about Laurie’s teacher?

• She does not want other children to play with Laurie.
• She wants to help Laurie be successful in kindergarten.
• She thinks Laurie’s parents should be more involved at school. 
• She enjoys punishing Laurie when he misbehaves.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.6.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

The home is important to the story because it is where—

• Laurie’s misbehavior goes unnoticed
• the mother realizes Laurie is Charles
• Laurie lives with his family
• the mother decides to meet Charles’s mother

What causes Laurie’s misbehavior at school for the first couple of weeks?

• He is hoping to be kicked out of school so he can stay home.
• He wants the other kids at school to think that he is cool.
• He has never been disciplined before.
• He wants to color with different crayons than everyone else.

Which line from the story reveals the mother’s internal conflict?

• Monday night was the first Parent-Teachers meeting, and only the fact that the baby had a cold kept me from going.
• At the meeting I sat restlessly, scanning each comfortable matronly face, trying to determine which one hid the secret of Charles.
• I watched him go off, seeing clearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet voiced nursery school tot replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character.
• You must have your hands full in that kindergarten, with Charles.

How does the first-person point of view affect this story?

• It helps the reader to understand the conflict between Laurie’s parents.
• It reveals why Charles misbehaves.
• It allows the ending to include a surprising twist.
• It explains how Laurie feels about kindergarten.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.1.6

If this story have been told in first-person point of view from Laurie’s perspective, what would be the main difference?

• Laurie would not have stayed after school.
• Charles would not be a character in the story.
•  Laurie would not have lied to his parents.
• The mother would not be surprised when she met with the teacher.