Throughout human history there have been numerous instances where people have been victims of oppression or hatred. In these cases the only reason behind this oppression or hatred is based on the perception of others. History has shown that society is responsible for labeling groups of people, generally these labels are misleading. Children are a common group of people who are generally mislabeled by society. Examples of labeling children are shown in the story “Charles” by Shirley Jackson and “The Open Window” by Saki. In “Charles” the concept of parents labeling their children as pure and sincere was shown. As in Saki's "The Open Window" she "used the idea that girls were the truer sex and gave her a name that suggests veracity to make her story less suspect." (Wilson 178). According to Welsh "Because the fantasy is so bizarre, creative, and totally unexpected for a fifteen-year-old girl, the reader is momentarily fooled."(03). This proved that we readers have also been victims of society's misleading labels. As shown in the two stories, children are considered innocent and “precious” incapable of deceiving (Wilson 178). The two literary texts clearly invalidate the belief that children are incapable of deceiving. In “The Open Window” Vera showed deceit when she lied to her aunt about why Framton Nuttel had left the house by saying “He told me he had a horror of dogs. He was once hunted in a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs, and had to spend the night in a freshly dug grave with the creatures growling, sneering and foaming right above him. Enough to make anyone lose their nerve.”(Saki 254). Likewise in “Charles” Laurie showed the deception......in the middle of the paper......to make us fall victim to mislabeling. Not everything you see is actually there. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Bloom's major short story writers: Shirley Jackson. Broomall, Pa: ChelseaHouse, 2001. 18-23. Print.Hi, Terry."Charles." Main plots II. Revised. England: Salem Press, 2004. Web. October 18, 2011.Jackson Shirley."Charles." Book for university English students. David Skwire and Harvey Wiener. New York: Longmen, 2004. 248-251. PrintSaki."The open window."University English student book. David Skwire and Harvey Wiener. New York: Longmen, 2004. 252-254. PrintWelsh, James M. Master Plots II. Revised. England: Salem Press, 2004. Network. 18 Oct 2011.Wilson, Kathleen. Ed." Short story for students. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 170-182. Print.