In Shirley Jackson's short story "Charles," Laurie's character changes when he starts kindergarten. He switches from wearing "corduroy overalls with bibs" to "blue jeans with a belt," which shows he's growing up and moving away from the innocence of being a little kid (Jackson 73). At home, Laurie also starts to act differently, like when he stops waving goodbye to his mother, which hints that he's trying to separate from her and become more independent.
Laurie tells his parents about a classmate named Charles who misbehaves a lot, but it's later revealed that Charles is actually a made-up version of Laurie's own behavior. This suggests that Laurie is testing the limits and trying to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. Through Laurie, Jackson explores how children start to form their identities and figure out who they are (Jackson 77).