These two questions are from the short story "Charles" by Shirley Jackson
PART A: Which sentences describes the main theme of the short story?
A Children sometimes act out when they’re attempting to figure out who they are.
B Parents often don’t give their kids enough attention, and this causes them to act out.
C Naughty children are more likely to become misbehaving adults when they grow up.
D Children are strongly influenced by the bad behavior of their peers.
PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A “my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.” ( Paragraph 1)
B “‘Do you think kindergarten is too unsettling for Laurie? All this toughness, and bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a bad influence.’” ( Paragraph 21)
C “With the third week of kindergarten Charles was an institution in our family; the baby was being a Charles when she cried all afternoon” ( Paragraph 41)
D “‘We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so,’ she said primly, ‘but now he’s a fine little helper. With occasional lapses, of course.’” ( Paragraph 68)
