Charlie's Psychological Torture of Don Grace

Charlie's systematic humiliation of the school psychiatrist.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Interrogation Begins

The Game The Questions Charlie forces Don Grace to answer personal questions: his military service, his sex life, his mother's maiden name. Grace becomes flustered and contradictory. The Trap Charlie catches Grace in a lie about his basic training year. He threatens to kill a hostage if Grace doesn't answer truthfully. The Breakdown Grace begins to sob and plead. Charlie fires a shot into the floor, pretending to have killed someone. Grace is reduced to a crying wreck.

The Aftermath of the Interrogation

The Broken Man The Walk Across the Lawn Grace leaves the office and walks slowly across the lawn, looking old and defeated. Charlie watches with satisfaction. The Class's Reaction The class is impressed by Charlie's victory. Grace Stanner cheers. The psychiatrist's authority is destroyed. The Symbolic Meaning Charlie has turned the tables on the authority figures. He has exposed their weaknesses and asserted his own power.

Mid-morning, during the hostage crisis

After the interrogation, during the siege