The novel captures a single week in the lives of thirteen-year-old boys on the cusp of maturity. The novel may be read as detailing the loss of innocence, or, alternatively, as a tribute to boyhood innocence. While some characters value innocence and youth above all else, another is eager to rush into adulthood. These issues gain traction with the existence of a carousel that can age or make young a person at will. Just what the relationship is between innocence and youth is tricky, and the novel leaves us with no clear answer to this question.
Questions About Innocence
- To what degree is the novel a story about the loss of innocence? The preservation of innocence? Who loses innocence and how, and at what points?
- How does this novel define innocence?
- What is the relationship between youth and innocence in this novel?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Jim much less innocent than his friend Will.
Despite his desire to grow older, Jim is actually just as innocent a little boy as his friend Will.