In the short story, "Charles", by Shirley Jackson, what can a reader infer from the main character's actions and interactions with others?

In the short
story, "" by , a number of things can be inferred from the character's actions and
interactions with others, such as that with each story Laurie tells about Charles, the mother
and father should have been questioning how they raised their own child. 

At
the beginning, the mother is reluctant to see her boy Laurie go off to school, just like many
mothers who wonder what effect school will have on their children.  Laurie comes home every day
with stories of what 'Charles' has done that day, from throwing things at other children,
arguing with the teacher, refusing to do what the teacher wants, to even hitting other
children. 

With each of these stories, his parents should begin to wonder
about their own child. These stories all sound like the invention of a child having trouble in
school. Yet the parents simply accept the explanations he offers.  No one questions him about
his own behavior. 

One inference you can draw from the smart-mouth questions
Laurie asks like, "Isn't anybody
here?" after slamming the door, and from
his greeting to his father, "Hi, Pop, y'old dust mop," is that Laurie's behavior
indicates a boy who has been unquestioningly allowed to do as he pleases in his early life at
home. 

When the parents talk to Laurie when he comes home late from school
with the explanation that all of the class stayed to watch Charles be punished, alarm bells
should have been ringing for them as no school allows such a thing. Yet again, the parents
blindly and unquestioningly accept the explanation.

From this blind
acceptance we can infer that these are loving but unaware parents. When they find out at the end
of the story that there is no Charles in the kindergarten, that Laurie is the one having all the
trouble adjusting, the parents as well as the reader are surprised. 

I
believe that Shirley Jackson wants us to infer that the parents of this world might need to be
more questioning and aware of their children's behaviors, might need to observe more closely,
might need to make children responsible from a young age, and most of all, must be involved in
evaluating how their children are growing up.  If parents simply allow their children to grow up
without guidance, as illustrated by Charles, the world will be in
trouble.