Character Analysis
Charlie's parents keep a lot of things secret in their household. His dad is an abusive man, who's constantly yelling at his wife and son. And he beats them, too, even though no one says it outright.
The Kahns have a difficult family life and they are unwilling and unable to protect their son from it. Because of the discord in their house, Charlie goes elsewhere for support—first to Vera, and then to the Detentionheads—though none of these people are ultimately able to quite offer Charlie what he needs. After all, they're kids, not his parents.