Dramaticis
used in 's "" as the mother/narrator never suspects that the poorly-behaved boy about
whom her son speaks is, in actuality, her own child, Laurie while readers soon realize the
truth.
In thethere are suggestions that Laurie is not too well-behaved
because as she watches him go off to kindergarten escorted by the older girl who lives next
door, the doting mother sentimentally feels that an "era" of her life has
ended,
...my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a
longtrousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to
me
Notably, she does not call to him and scold him for
his behavior. Also, whenever Laurie describes what Charles has done, neither of the parents
question Laurie about his own behavior at school. Instead, they become absorbed in the narrative
about Charles. Thus, the reader begins to suspect that the narrative has a meaning beyond what
is on the surface [dramatic irony], while the parents in the narrative do not recognize the
reality. Part of the reason for their misunderstanding is indicated from an early passage in
which Jackson hints at this na¯vet© of the parents when Charles returns the first
day:
At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled
his baby sisters milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not to take the name of the
Lord in vain.
Obviously, then, the parents themselves are
not too well-behaved.
Finally, the "ironic punch" is delivered when
the mother attends the PTA meeting, eager to see who the badly-behaved boy named Charles is.
When she speaks with the teacher, Laurie's teacher mentions that he was rather difficult at
first, but he has adjusted with only some minor "lapses." Laurie's mother states her
belief that her son's lapses must be due to Charles. Confused, the teacher repeats the name
questioningly, "Charles?"
Yes, I [the mother]
said, laughing, you must have your hands full in that kindergarten, with
Charles.
Charles? she said. We dont have any Charles in the kindergarten.
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