An alter ego serves many different purposes. First, it
allows a person (not specifically only authors) to escape form reality. Another purpose
of the alter ego is to allow a person to find them self as defined by their own terms,
definitions, characteristics, and stereotypical
thoughts.
In regards to Laurie, in Jackson's short story
"Charles," Laurie's creation of an alter ego may function in both of the ways described
above.
First, Laurie may be wanting to escape from the fact
that it is he who is behaving badly in school. He may be fearful of the punishment which
surely awaits if his parents find out that "Charles" is him. Second, Laurie may be
feeling out his parents and how they would react if they did know that "Charles" was
Laurie.
Second, Laurie may be trying to find himself as a
gender specific person. The name Laurie is typically reserved for girls/women, not boys.
Laurie may be struggling with the fact, even as young as he is, that his name has
misidentified him. He is not a girl. Unfortunately, some may have assumed this. One can
almost picture the teacher calling Laurie's name on the first day of school and being
caught off guard when a boy raises his hand. She may have even stated that she thought
he was a girl.
Therefore, to negate any other mistakes,
Laurie's alter ego assumes the name Charles. There is simply no way that a person could
not know that a name Charles is a boy's name.
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