Loss Of Innocence - 10/25/12

Innocence can mean many things. One of these is simply "not guilty." Another meaning, however, is a sense of childlike wonder and worldview. One can lose something intangible as they grow older and experience more of what the world has to offer, both positive and negative. One cannot maintain innocence for their whole life, and eventually, all people will be forced to grow old and lose their former optimism and care-free view of the world. Loss of innocence, among other intangible ideas, is merely unavoidable. One sign pointing towards loss of innocence in this painting is the woman attempting to cover herself. As a child, nudity is no big deal, and we are even born in the nude. As we get older, though, nudity becomes taboo and sexualized, and we are taught to cover ourselves at all cost. It also could be an allusion to Adam and Eve, who suddenly felt shame of their nudity after eating the forbidden fruit, a classic symbol of loss of innocence. Another example is the attempted covering of the woman by the other woman to the right. This shows that loss of innocence is rarely a choice, but brought upon us by society and other external factors. A final symbol is the flower pedals falling. The flower could represent innocence and purity, and the loss of pedals could represent the gradual loss of innocence as we are further exposed to the woes of the outside world.