Strangers in Time

Charlie is one of the text’s main characters. He is a 13-year-old “lanky boy” from a working-class family in London’s East End. He has a noticeable Cockney accent when he speaks, and Molly constantly reminds him not to swear, characteristics that Baldacci uses to establish his class and the theme of Class Influence on Wartime Experiences. Charlie lives with his Gran in a small flat and secretly operates as a thief to help support her. His father died during the war at Dunkirk, and his mother died in a bombing at his school, in which he was injured. Charlie tries to act tough and has a personal mantra to remind himself to be a man whenever he’s scared. Despite this, he has anxiety after his school’s bombing, which leads him to secretly drop out because he can’t focus. Charlie constantly thinks about whether each day will be his last, but he’s also determinedly optimistic and hopeful about the war’s outlook.

Although Charlie is a thief, he has personal rules about who he can steal from (the rich) and who he can’t steal from (the poor). He’s morally principled, particularly about giving back to those who help him, or helping those in need.