Character Analysis
Mr. Donner is happy to employ Charlie… as long as the rest of his employees are happy with that decision. We don't see much of the man, but he seems a little wishy-washy. As a good friend of Charlie's Uncle Herman, he makes a "solemn promise" (104) to do right by the boy. As long as he's got an errand-boy that keeps out of his way, that promise is pretty easy to keep.
But when he needs to curb the mutiny that's going on in the bakery, sacking Charlie seems like the right step. He's got his own family to think about, after all. Donner doesn't really think about the emotional consequences of his decision, but he thinks Charlie is capable of taking care of himself.
When Charlie comes back to him at the end of the book, he's all too happy to give him back his job—after all, he's no longer a threat. For Donner, it's all about making the easy choice without standing up for Charlie.