Through the semester we explored the idea of loss of innocence thru many different pieces of literature. Novels like The Bluest Eyes and American Born Chinese make a very significance connection of the idea that the loss of innocence is strongly liked to sexuality. In the novel The Bluest Eyes, Pecola’s rape by her father marks her loss of innocence, but her loss is something that happens to her involuntarily, while on American Born Chinese Jin’s crush on Amelia makes him want to explore his sexuality and even fantasies about getting married and having children with her. Jin fantasizes about sexuality due to his desire to lose his innocence, while Pecola losses her innocence thru a rape involuntarily. In both cases, these two young adults, Jin and Pecola’s loss of innocence is linked to sexuality as the main reason. This means that our exploration and introduction of sexuality either voluntarily or involuntarily leads to our loss of innocence.
Further reading to explore this idea are:
- Roberts, Celia. “Early Puberty, ‘Sexualization’ And Feminism.” European Journal Of Women’s Studies2 (2013): 138-154.Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
This article talks about how in the medical and scientific literature early sexual development is described as a problem for girls and as a frightening prospect for parents. News media and popular environmentalist accounts amplify these figurations, raising powerful concerns about the sexual predation of early developing girls by men and boys and the loss of childhood innocence.
- Van Wormer, K., and L. Berns. “The Impact of Priest Sexual Abuse: Female Survivors’ Narratives.” Affilia-Journal Of Women And Social Work 19.1 (2004): 53-67. Print.
This article explores the effect of priests’sexual abuse on victimized girls and young women. The article explores the theme of loss of innocence after a sexual abuse and the aftermath of the tragedy.
- Robinson, Kerry H., and Cristyn Davies. “‘She’s Kickin’ Ass, That’s What She’s Doing!’: Deconstructing Childhood ‘Innocence’ In Media Representations.” Australian Feminist Studies 23.57 (2008): 343-358. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
This article presents a discussion of childhood innocence and the way that it is conceptualized and represented within the media texts “Painted Babies” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” It examines the relations of gender, sexuality, power, and agency in the children’s lives. The relationship of the worlds between children and adults, the recognition of childhood as a discursive and material socio-cultural construction, and the understanding of childhood innocence as a part of developmental psychology are also addressed in the article.
