Zhehao Fu

Dr. Katherine Boutry

English 103

12 November 2023

Fall from Innocence

Harsh realities of an environment can expose a child to dangers that could have otherwise been

avoided. The consequences of such occurrences to a child can lead to complex lifelong traumas

and depression. Since they are still forming their sense of self and comprehension of the world,

children are more vulnerable to the harsh realities of an uncaring environment. It is apparent that

children are more vulnerable to harsh environments that do not nurture them. Children living in

harsh environments such as Pecola in "in the bluest eye" experience negligence and molestation

in their lives. Pecola is raped by her father mixed motives that include love and hate. The

children in this book are, for the most part, not protected from the harsh reality of their

surroundings, and their parents actually contribute significantly to the traumas they endure. From

a very young age, the young ladies are subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; in

Pecola's case, the same man who is supposed to be defending her violates her sexually. The

results of "their fall from innocence" include Pecola becoming a parent and experiencing

additional abuse.

Claudia noticed a group of boys bothering Pecola, she stands up for her by confronting and

fighting them, she is brave and has not been held back by society's limits or allowed anything to

shape who she is. “Our astonishment was short-lived, for it gave way to a curious kind of

defensive shame; we were embarrassed for Pecola, hurt for her, and finally we just felt sorry for

her” Claudia narrates after finding out about Pecola's pregnancy, they come up with a plan to
shield her baby from the rejection that Pecola herself had experienced from the community

(Morrison 187-206). Claudia represents hope because she uniquely looks at the world. She

believes that everyone, no matter their race – whether they're black, brown, or white – shares the

same human essence. She sees that all blood is red, and she strongly believes that color should

not determine a person's worth or humanity.

Pecola's loss of innocence happens earlier than the other girls in the story because she grows up

in a very violent and harsh environment, she grows up very poor making people and her own

family treat her badly. Frieda and Claudia no longer regard her as a peer after she starts having

periods; they now view her as a woman. They find this incident to be amazing, but they are

unaware that it points to Pecola's loss of innocence. She would not have been able to become

pregnant and subsequently witness the death of her child if she had not started her period at the

time of her father's rape. In addition to being subjected to rape, Pecola also had to deal with

additional worldly ills, for example, her dad, Cholly Breedlove, sets their house on fire because

he's very stressed about money, causing his family to be dependent on the kindness of others

while he sits in jail (Morrison 16-17). Pecola has to go live with the MacTeer family where

Frieda and Claudia, like and play with her. But deep down, she wants to be like them – loved,

pretty, and strong Because of this, Pecola faces society's unfair ideas about beauty.

" Am I going to die? Pecola asked. "Noooo. It just means you can have a baby!". When Pecola

started her period, Frieda said this. Despite being older than Pecola, she had not yet started her

menstrual cycle. She knew more about the world and the anatomy of women. She carefully

explained the menstrual cycle to the terrified girls, demonstrating her maturity beyond that of

girls her age. Frieda and Claudia no longer saw Pecola as a child, but rather as a lady during her

menstruation. They were unaware that Pecola's loss of innocence would be signaled by this
breathtaking incident. She would not have been able to become pregnant if her father had not

raped her when she was menstruating. Her first period marked the beginning of her encounters

with the world's ills and the loss of her innocence. This happened after Pecola was raped by his

father. He felt resentment and tenderness at the same time as he rose up and turned to face his

daughter. He left her on the floor, covered her with a blanket, but he was too hated to pick her up.

Cholly struggled to establish a connection with his kids.

Claudia's fall from innocence in the story is tied to the harsh realities of the world around her.
She starts off as a young and carefree child, but as she grows, she becomes aware of the
injustices and unfairness that exist, especially towards people like Pecola. Claudia's innocence
starts to fade when she witnesses the mistreatment of Pecola by others and realizes the hurtful
impact of societal biases. She couldn't understand why white dolls were considered pretty while
black dolls were seen as not nice. By taking apart the doll, Claudia was trying to find the beauty
in it (Morrison 22-23). Her understanding deepens further when she learns about Pecola's
pregnancy and the community's negative reactions to it.

Frieda and Claudia find out that Pecola's father is the one who conceived her. Now, Cholly has
escaped. While condemning Cholly's behavior, the neighborhood gossips also point the finger at
Pecola. They believe she ought to be expelled from the school. Her mother nearly killed her after
discovering her. According to the gossip, it would be best if the unborn child died. Frieda and
Claudia are saddened and ashamed for Pecola, and the fact that no adult seems to feel the same
way makes them feel even more sad. Claudia visualizes the child with gorgeous skin, lips, and
eyes while still in the womb. She believes that by wanting Pecola's baby to survive, she is able to
oppose the affection that other people have for white dolls and young girls.

Frieda told Claudia about their intention to offer a sacrifice to God in order to save Pecola's

unborn child. They connected Marigold to Pecola's baby's security and welfare. They

demonstrated an honest sacrifice on their side by planting marigold seeds and ceremoniously

presenting their money, which was intended to be used to purchase their bike. Frieda and Claudia

thought a miracle would occur to allow Pecola's baby to survive despite their sacrifices, while
Pecola wished for blue eyes. They thought Pecola's kid would survive if the marigold grew. This

demonstrated that Frieda was still naive in believing that their sacrifices—wishing and praying—

would result in something.

The fall from innocence in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" can be understood as the moment
when Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellow activists come to realize the true extent of racial
injustice and inequality in society. Initially, they might have believed in the ideals of equality and
freedom that the United States stands for. However, through their experiences of engaging in
nonviolent protests and facing violent opposition, they begin to see the harsh reality that these
ideals are not fully upheld. As they confront violent counter-protesters, encounter police
brutality, and face unjust arrests, their innocence fades away. They see that the fight for civil
rights is not as straightforward as they might have thought. This fall from innocence is marked
by the shift from believing that the nation will naturally uphold justice to understanding that they
need to actively challenge the systemic racism and discrimination deeply ingrained in society.

The picture shows a black family moving into a white neighborhood. The white kids look
surprised because, at that time, black and white people weren't treated equally. If the kids are this
surprised, their parents might be even more shocked. In the picture, the black girl is holding her
white dog carefully, showing she cares about it. But the white kids are letting their black dogs
walk freely without a leash. What if the dog goes after the black kids? Who will be blamed?
Maybe the black family and their child. It's sad to think about how unfair things were back then.

In the second picture by Benetton describes an uneasy unity between black and white. The white
child is shown with well-done curly hair, well-rounded cheeks, and looks chubby, bright eyes
accompanied by a smile. On the other hand, the black child appears fearful, the picture not as
sharp or bright as the white child's, the black child is sad, shocking eyes and the horny hairstyle
depicts a ‘devil with horns. This difference between them reflects a fall from innocence theme.
The picture reminds us that even though we talk about fairness, how we think about different
races matters too
Works Cited

King, Martin Lurther. Letter from Birmingham Jail. African Studies Center: University of
Pennsylvania, 1963. Print.

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eyes. Vintage International Books, 2007. Document.