Children are naive to the world and it’s harshness until some adult brings their attention to the negativity. Children often learn from the environments they are surrounded by and the important people in their lives. A prime example of childhood innocence can be found the character of Janie in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.
In chapter two Janie recalls of her childhood innocence stating “ Ah didn’t know Ah wuzn’t white till Ah was round six years old” (Hurston 8). “ Wouldn’t have found it out then, but a man come long takin’ pictures. Janie was not treated like an outsider or aware that she was different from the Wasburns until someone brough it to her attention. It ruined her innocence because she did not see herself as being a different race since she was never treated differently by her white friends and liked the same things the white children liked.
It is similar to times of civil rights in the United States in the 1950’s and 1960’s. White children back in those days were naive about colored children and treated them as equals until they were told by their families that colored skin was not acceptable. It changed plenty of relationships between friends of different races because they did not want to be disobedient to their parents.
Another issue brought up in the second chapter of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was jealousy. “Dere wuz a knotty head gal name Mayrella dat useter git mad every time she look at me” (Hurston 9). The character Mayrella represents jealousy between children of the same race. Mayrella represents how children back then who were colored and treated poorly would envy another child of color who are treated better than they are by the whites. There was also jealousy if you were mixed because of if you had long hair or light skin and gorgeous eyes. There was not only prejudices brought on by the whites, but by people of the same race as well.
The link to the article I found below goes into detail about childhood innocence and what it is to be innocent.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/10/what-is-childhood-innocence
We are all born into the same world and see the environment in similar aspects as young children. As we mature and grow, we expand our knowledge and formulate our own opinions. This causes the naïve part of us, that you mentioned earlier, to gradually slip away. Janie is a naïve young girl and the reference to her realizing she is colored was an effective example. As the story progresses, we also see the naïve side of Janie through the aspect of "romance". Kissing Johnny Taylor spontaneously and not thinking much of it proves how Janie is very inexperienced. She fails to realize that girls marry around her age and that she must have protection since Nanny is "done ole" (Hurston 15). All children are inexperienced and your post was effective in proving that Janie shared the naïve quality.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your insight; childhood innocence and jealousy are continuous cycles that are never broken. These traits do not disappear once people become adult, but get worst, on the first page of the book, "the people all saw her come... they sat in judgment" (1). These African Americans who are already minorities and know what it is liked to be intimidated by Caucasians, still choose to intimidate and gossip about Janie when they have all been in her shoes.
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