Reply To: TRWR: Discuss the theme of innocence throughout the novel
Scott is sheltered and protected by his mother and grandmother because of the hole in his heart. Movie and books give Del and Scott a view of a broader world, usually war movies, Westerns or grade-B horror films, possibly reinforcing their naivete. Del has had a rougher life and is more world-wise. He is a year older than Scott and delights in anything that is forbidden, such as sexually descriptive passages in Peyton Place and shooting guns. Del draws Scott into his world. That summer was their rite of passage. Scott shoots Creasy, one of a string of regrets and if onlys.
“Murderer, Scott thought as he walked with the tray toward the county jail, and he wondered what that meant. He’s seen John Wayne and Audie Murphy kill Indians and Japanese and Germans by the thousands on the screen at the Rialto, but that wasn’t called murder. There was glory in what they did, or pretended to do for the camera. Noah Bluestone had killed only one man, the kind of man who, when speaking about him, a lot of good people used a lot of bad language.” For most people, Jimmy Quinn is one of them; that excludes Noah because he is Indian which makes him guilty. In spite of having been a Marine for 20 years, Connie thinks that because Noah killed men in a couple of wars, “killing one more wouldn’t be much of a stretch.” Some even want to lynch Noah. Colleen and Bridget don’t believe that Noah killed their father. Neither does Tom, Brody’s brother. They played football together. Noah was a fearless competitor, someone you wanted on your side. He took a lot of crap for being Indian, but once the team started winning, “him being Indian wasn’t a big deal anymore.” Sam Wicklow publishes an editorial of Noah’s innocence in support of Charlie defending Noah.
