“Many times a day, he would see other children taking creamy candy bars out of their pockets and munching them greedily; and that, of course, was pure torture.”

This quotation comes from the first chapter of the story. It captures Charlie’s overwhelming desire for chocolate, and it also helps to frame Charlie’s character. Immediately before this, the reader has learned that Charlie is poor, cold, and hungry. It would be reasonable to expect Charlie to be dissatisfied with his life. However, the opposite is true. Charlie remains optimistic in the face of all his trials and tribulations. He never complains and is a consummate good kid. Charlie continues to earn the reader’s sympathy by bearing the difficulties of his life with dignity.