The Charmer

“The Charmer Reflection”
“The Charmer” by Budge Wilson is a great short story that applies to any race or culture. It’s written in third person and it’s narrated from the main character’s point of view throughout her childhood. Budge Wilson uses Zack’s charming personality and irresponsible behavior to create an emotional story that sends a very important message for all. I believe the author wrote this story not just to describe her childhood and the different perspective of her brother’s personality as she grows up but more so to stress how inconsistent parenting would encourage your child to develop unwanted behaviors. I think everyone in some point of their lives would encounter individuals that would have similar characteristic as Zack.

I’ve spent most of my days at T.I.S. devoted to my education. I love T.I.S. because of its quality education but more so it’s friendly environment for students to learn and express themselves. When I was in grade 8 my parents decided to send me to a boarding school in England and that’s when I learned that people like “The
Charmer” existed.

This Charmer, as we could refer to him, isn’t what you would typically consider as
“Prince Charming.” He wasn’t the alpha male. He’s a special type that knew his weaknesses and in a sense knew how to use those weaknesses to make himself even more endearing than the typical “Prince Charming”. His appearance fit more to your stereotypical nerd. Short and skinny was his common description, he was also known for the glasses he wore; they were thicker than a layer of a napoleon cake. He was the type of person that you would think would try to avoid the spotlight and the kind of attention that a “Charmer” would expect to receive. But under wraps, he strived for control. He manipulated and convinced in such a way that the victim of his advances wouldn’t even notice. In his household he was the quiet one the odd one out just like most middle children. His house was big but messy ­ trophies piled up in the living room that measured longer than a head table. They belong to his older brother who was named the MVP for every sport he joined. His strong physical body, cheeky loving smile and smart witty personality, wooed every girl at school. To add to the collection was his stunning sister who excelled in every subject she took and wiped the minds of boys by simply walking past. The big house always felt soulless without their parents in sight, long working hours and frequent business trips were the norm for these children. Every
December was a strange month for them since their parents are usually free and would spend most of their time with their kids, especially his older brother and younger sister.
Their parents would attend every football game their son played and watched their daughter perform her solo ballet routine in the bitter, bleak South Hall that, for once, didn’t seem as cold and daunting. No one really paid any sort of attention to “The

Charmer”. At school, people knew him as simply the sibling of his brother and sister. At home his parents unknowingly neglected their middle child in favor of the achievements of their other progenies.

This Charmer was always secretly envious of the attention his parents showered on his other siblings, and this envy hung around. But it seemed no matter the innumerable attempts he made, he could never obtain the same high esteem that his parents held for his siblings. This frustration grew and developed, feeding and thriving on his insecurities and envy, until it overpowered any and all of his thoughts. It was what pushed and drove him to finally use the charm he had kept in obscurity for so long.
When he finally used his prodigal ability, it was for the simply reason to finally release some of the hulking, almost palpable,presence his years of stored anger and neglect had taken. He used it to destroy the only people that valued him for himself;his siblings.

He used his manipulative and conniving mind to slowly plant a seed of doubt into his parents mind. He wanted to be the cigarette to a forest, the iceberg to the Titanic, the serpent to The Garden of Eden. I pride myself on catching people’s emotions and personalities based on their behaviors and I was a friend of “The Charmer’s” sister. Our group of friends would usually go to her big messy house during the weekends. Every time when we came over, I felt an aura of anger and jealousy from “The Charmer” even though he tried to hide it behind a forced smile. He interested me as I studied him while others continued their disregard. I felt that I was the only one that understood his hardship. Although we never exchanged words, his actions spoke for him.

I witnessed the start of what would become his own small revolution. The first operation against his kin.
We heard knocks on the doors expecting the pizza order to finally arrive, but it was a police officer that received a noise complaint. Swift like a cheetah, cunning like a snake “The Charmer” pretended he was in his room this whole time made and his way through the window and called the cops on a payphone. This incident didn’t anger his parents; with disbelief he conceived another strike. “The Charmer” convinced a fifth grader with a blank check, the innocent little child then told the principle that “The
Charmer’s” sister bullied him. This incident startled the whole school including her parents. Later on he betrayed his brother by notifying his parents with a school email that his brother was cheating on an exam. With these incidents piling up the seed of doubt in their parents mind had gradually grew. The love from his parent to his siblings had gradually diminished so did the level of competition. “The Charmer’s” conceiving plan had proceeded into phase two. “Charming the parents.

The week before Christmas there’s was an immense recital that fills up the town hall seats. “The Charmer” saw this as the perfect opportunity to charmer his parents. He wrote a poem followed by song with his prodigal mind he was able to create a poem that even Shakespeare would acknowledge. He painted vivid pictures with each syllable that seeped from his chapped lips. He weaved words into webs so complicated, yet somehow so sharply beautiful with it’s complexity. With determination, he recited his poem in front of the crowd with astonishing skill, and hypnotized them with every lash of his tongue. His ability to create such poetic pieces made their parents wondered how could a child so talented have been have so ignored all this time? I came back to Macau just before Christmas , I heard stories that the parents, for once, bought all of their children the same Christmas present. To be honest, I’m glad that “The Charmer’s” conniving plan had succeeded. The letter from the school, the car accident, the show all happened, but to tell you the truth I didn’t know if this was all part of “The Charmers” master plan. Maybe it was my dramatical imagination, but I would like to think it was the a small, geeky, neglected boy who change his world that once spurned him. But really, I am never sure.

Brother symbolize something he want’s to be but can't Sister symbolize Want he wanted was attention, power, love from his parents Personality­ Cunning, knowns hows how to manipulate others How?­ He developed this characteristics because he didn’t receive much love and attention from his parents since he didn’t excel in any kind of way.

What did he do? He made his sister and brother look like shit. Sister­ Letter from school, cops Brother­ Drunk drive, flatten his tiresy

Zack was a happy and popular guy whether he was at school or in the family home. He had a charming personality but also has his flaws. He constantly creates the illusion of him being the perfect son that could do no wrong. This illusion allowed him to bypass any of his responsibilities. He was so good at it to an extent where his parents spoil him without even noticing. He takes for granted the kind gestures of his parents and never really appreciates what was being done for him. His parents makes the mistake of tolerating his utterly self­centered behaviors, and this parenting leads to Zack manipulating his parents by taking advantage of their ignorance. Eventually, all this leads to Zack developing a cynical way of thinking.

Zack used his charm to get himself out of trouble when he ate his mother specially made cake for the church, he simply said “My mother, my queen. How­ could someone with any taste buds at all ignore the creation of so great a cook? The master cook of the whole of this city!” In a naive little girl’s eye this act seems so charming and innocent. As the author grows up so does her understanding of her brothers actions, it doesn’t seem to be neither charming nor innocent. I believe the author considered her older brother’s behaviour a result of her parents willing oblivion. Years later when one of the authors youngest daughter misbehaved and deliberately spills milk all over the living room, the narrator noticed the signs of her daughter developing the same kind of behaviours her brother had displayed. By realizing this, the narrator was able to avoid falling into the same trap of ignorance her parents fell into and assertively punished her daughter. After this the narrator whispered, “Thank you, Zack.”


He uses his charm to get himself out of trouble.
“My mother, my queen!” he might say. “How could someone with any taste buds at all ignore the creation of so great a cook? The master cook of the whole of this city!” The he would give her one of his special bear hugs. Or he might get down on one or both of his knees.

His father makes the mistake of not saying anything about his disagreement with the way Zack is treated and allows the conflict to continue. He takes advantage of these kind gestures and never really appreciates what was being done for him.

dog example he would find mom for help children with poor social skills usually are spoiled by parents

Growing up as a happy and popular young man, Zack creates himself a perfect reputation which left room for love and smothering from his mother and two sisters. His mother and sisters love him very much and show this love by being at his every beckoning. Winifred is no exception; the love for Zack is shown by the extraction, “How be you wash my bike for me, Pose, Love?” I would be halfway to the kitchen for bucket and rags before he stopped speaking. [And] I was Zachary’s willing slave. Slavery in fact, was a vogue in our house.”(Wilson,101). Zack from a very young age is overwhelmed with love and good deeds sent in his direction. He takes advantage of these kind gestures and never really appreciates what was being done for him. This lack of appreciation and constant smothering is noticed by his father at later stages in the story and creates a level of confliction between them throughout the story. His father makes the mistake of not saying anything about his disagreement with the way Zack is treated and allows the conflict to continue.
“Even Dad took a long time to wake up. You wouldn’t think a fourteen – or sixteen­year­old­boy could hoodwink a father… [And] Dad would just leave the room and go out to his work shed and sit and rock and rock in that old chair of his.” (Wilson,103). His father new there was a problem but did not act on it until the situation reached its climax which resulted in Zack leaving home. The problem is allowed to escalate at the time. The father does not play as big of a role in Zack’s life. Due to mothers love for Zack she allows him to get away with a lot of things that most mothers would not. One day she baked a cake for the church bazaar and left a sign warning nobody to eat it. She came home to find a slice gone and realised it was Zack that took the slice.