Charles written by Shirley Jackson and the show Dennis the Menace have a lot of similarities. But did you know that they also have a lot of differences? Something I've noticed about these two stories, besides their similarities and differences, is that they both support the theme, “It’s easier to see other people's mistakes than to see your own.'' For example, both stories included a moment where the parents see only the bad in a child other than theirs. Like how in Dennis the Menace when his parents went to the movies and left Dennis with a new babysitter, they came into an encounter with a misbehaving child in the movies. They are quick to judge the child and question their amount of home training, forgetting about their own child. Something similar to this might be in the story Charles by Shirley …show more content…
In the show Dennis the Menace, Dennis had used his friend Joey to sneak to the film he wanted to see. Just like how in the story Charles, Laurie makes up a kid named Charles so he can get in trouble without his parents knowing. Those are just some of the many similarities; now let’s move on to the differences in these stories. Dennis’s parents already know that Dennis is a misbehaving child, while Laurie’s parents ignore it. Dennis’s mother is used to having a hard time finding a babysitter because she states that they “never come back.” But when Laurie’s mom is talking to the teacher at Laurie’s school, she says “Laurie usually adjusts very quickly. I suppose this time it’s Charles's influence.” Another example of how these stories are different is when it comes to bad behavior Dennis’s parents have no one to blame; they just know their kid is bad but Laurie’s parents blame Charles for Laurie’s bad behavior. For instance, in Dennis’s the Menace Dennis’s parents already know that Dennis is a bad kid but Laurie’s parents think that Charles is influencing