Charlie's father

Charlie’s father is a main character in the short story “I Spy” by Graham Greene. He is the owner of a tobacco shop. He is married and has a 12-year-old son, Charlie. 

Charlie’s father is involved in some sort of illegal activity, which leads to his arrest. He appears to travel a lot but does not give his family a clear account of his comings and goings: “Tonight he had said he would be in Norwich, and yet you never knew” (p. 41, ll. 7). This suggests he is secretive and does not trust his family, or perhaps he wants to protect them from his illegal activities. This, together with the title of the story and the time setting during World War One, might suggest he is a spy. However, given his large collection of cigarettes (p. 40, l. 15), he might a...