Analyse af 'The Happiest Days of Your Life'

This short story is about a boy named Charles. In the story he is on his way to a preparatory school with his parents, because Charles shall see if it is a descent place, for him to continue his education. He might be six or seven years old since he is about to start at a preparatory school. He is very uncomfortable about the situation. This is shown in the quote: “the boy sat on the back seat of the car, a box of chocolates, unopened, beside him, and a comic, folded”. A boy in his age will normally eat the chocolate because of the fact that children love sweets. It also symbolizes the unknown, and the feeling of him not knowing where he is going. The parents try to bribe him but he refuses to accept this. All through the visit he does not say anything, he just follow the adults (page 56, line10-11). In the quote ”He stands in the middle of them with shoulders humped, staring down at feet” tells that Charles is a very nervous boy, and unsure of himself with no confidence at all, when he meets the new boys in the school. That also has an effect on the boys he meets in school. In the end we see that he desperately not want to attend this school, because all he hears when he sits in the car on their way home is the echo of the boy, who said they shall mash him the next term (page 58, line 27). He does not tell his parents anything about the fact, that he does not want to attend this school. He finds is easier to just go along.