What are some possible reasons for Laurie to invent Charles in "Charles?"

Laurie inventedbecause he is
immature and unable to handle the socialization of kindergarten.

Young children often want to tell their parents things, but are not sure how to tell
them.  So they invent things.  Charles was Lauries way of telling his parents what he did in
kindergarten without actually telling them.  Every day, Laurie could come home and tell his
parents what he did without actually facing consequences.

We know that Laurie
was an immature child, not actually very good at inhibition.  He also really liked to shock his
parents.  A good example of this is when he told his father the story of the bad word Charles
made the little girl say.

What word? his father asked
unwisely, and Laurie said, Ill have to whisper it to you, its so bad. He got down off his
chair and went around to his father. His father bent his head down and Laurie whispered
joyfully. His fathers eyes widened.

Laurie seems to enjoy
shocking his father.  He gets to get the girl in trouble, get in trouble in school, and say a
bad word to his father, all without consequences.

Charles is really a cry for
help.  Laurie is floundering in kindergarten.  He is unable to socialize to meet the rules and
regulations that the school expects of him and behave the way a civilized person should.  School
is basically all about socialization, especially kindergarten.  Laurie is failing.  His parents
have never taught him manners.

At lunch he spoke
insolently to his father, spilled his baby sisters milk, and remarked that his teacher said we
were not to take the name of the Lord in vain.

Yet as
kindergarten goes on, Laurie seems to get a little better.  His teacher comments that he had a
little trouble adjusting but is doing better with occasional lapses.  His mother, of course,
is clueless.  She still has no idea that Laurie is Charles.  Talking about "Charles"
helps Laurie cope, and is one of the reasons he is getting better.

Invention
is normal for a child, and invention is a coping strategy.  When children invent stories,
sometimes the reason why can be a window into what is really going on in their lives.  In this
case, Charles is Laurie's alter ego, and an expression of his true self.  Inventing him makes it
easier for him to adjust to kindergarten, and helps him share what he is going through with his
parents.