Colin

Miss Melanie Transue

9th Grade CP English E-5

6 January 2012

                                                       The Thoughts of Charles

            Do you ever realize how your thoughts change in your life? Well in the book “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury, Mister Charles Halloway has changing thoughts. Throughout the whole story, from beginning to end Charles Holloway has changing thoughts. His thoughts change through out the story from sad thoughts, to “protective” thoughts, and finally to “trusting” thoughts.

            During the beginning of the story Charles Halloway was having sad thoughts. The sad thoughts that he was having were about how Will was making him feel old. He would have talks about his issue with his wife. Even though he would talk to his wife about Will making him feel old he would isolate himself in the library at 3 a.m. to be alone. Not only did he want to be alone but since he spent most of his time in the library but he did not even spend any time with Will. Charles did seem fine around Will when they were in the library and the night that Charles burned the handbill. Even though he seemed fine around Will he didn’t want Will to know how he felt so he would not feel worthless.

            Around the middle of the book Charles Halloway started to have thoughts that would be “protective”. When Charles, Jim, and Will were in the evil carnivals show with Mr. Dark and the dust witch, Charles had volunteered to “shoot” the dust witch in the bullet trick. He had figured out that the dust witch will die with happiness. Once he had the bullet he had to sign his name on it, he was really going to sign over his soul. Instead of signing his name he drew a smiley face on the bullet. Before he shot the gun he whispered to the dust witch that it was his smile instead of his signature. The dust witch panicked and swallowed the bullet as Charles shot the gun. The dust witch choked on the bullet as she swallowed it and died right there in the center of the room. He also tries to protect them in the library when Mr. Dark and the rest of the freaks are searching for them. No matter how many times Mr. Dark tried to make Charles tell where Jim and Will were hiding, he would not tell. As Charles was in the library trying to protect Jim and Will he did not move from the spot that Mr. Dark had left him in. Although Charles did not move he was still protecting the boys, also he could not move, Mr. Dark had made it so Charles had barley any energy, so all he could do is talk but he still would tell their hiding place. Even before the incident at the library Charles had "protective" thoughts Will and even Jim like when he tried to get them to come to the police station so that the freaks from the evil carnival would not get them. Even though they did not go to the police station Charles still had his "protective" thoughts which all lead up to the incident in the library.

            In the last part of the book more towards the ending Charles started to have "trusting" thoughts. He started to trust and listen to his son Will more. If Will had something to say then it would enter Charles ears without question. Also he would go through with plan of some sort that Will would have came up with, if he could see it being done in his mind then he would follow through with it. Charles "trusting" thoughts not only made him trust his son more but also made him trust his instincts. When Jim died Charles had to think and he had to think quickly so that the freaks would not find Will and himself and also bring Jim back. He figured that the freaks hate happiness so they should act as if they were happy; even though that was a good idea it was hard for Will to follow threw with it considering that his best friend just died in front of him. Charles did all he could to get Will to act happy because he trusted in his instinct that their happiness would bring Jim back. Although Charles did try anything he could to get Will to act happy he seemed more angry then happy. He seemed angrier because he needed Will to follow through with the plan because their time was running out so he had to act quickly; Charles showed Will his anger to make happiness. Finally Will followed through and acted happy so Jim could come back.

            Throughout the whole book "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury, Charles Halloways thoughts changed, and each time they changed they had a big part to play in the story, whether it is his sad thoughts, his "protective" thoughts, and even his "trusting" thoughts the story would not have been the same without them.