Midnight for Charlie Bone: The Children of the Red King #1

“Charlie knew he had disappointed Grandma Bone by being ordinary. Even worse, in her eyes, he was quite happy to be ordinary.”

This passage, near the beginning, shows how Jenny Nimmo establishes Charlie’s point-of-view. His Grandma’s disappointment is therefore framed within his own opinion about the situation. For Grandma Bone, to be “ordinary” is almost a personal affront, a failure to live up to the family’s legacy of strange power. The quote establishes the familial pressure she and her sisters put on Charlie. Charlie’s acceptance of his ordinariness further distances him from his grandmother, as he is happy without the power or ambition she values.

“My sisters are coming to assess you, Charlie. And if it is found that you are worthy—that you are, as I suspect, endowed—then they will provide the necessary funds to send you to Bloor’s Academy.”

This line from Grandma Bone reveals a critical part of the family dynamics in Charlie’s home. The whole situation of the family hinges on the opinion of the Yewbeams, and whether Charlie is worthy of support isn’t based on his own merit or achievements but on whether he fits their narrow idea of value through the possession of powers. While Bloor’s Academy could offer Charlie a chance to develop said powers, it also represents the family’s attempt to control him. The formal diction of the word “assess” shows how Charlie is subject to this control and value judgment.