Innocence Lost and Regained

The Executioners

The book's quiet treatment of childhood, violence, and the possibility of starting again after innocence is destroyed.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Fourteen-Year-Old Girl in Melbourne

Fourteen-Year-Old Girl in Melbourne Context Sam discovers Cady assaulting a fourteen-year-old girl in a Melbourne alley. The girl is plain and big for her age, and she has been beaten into a state of animal whining. Significance The girl is the novel's first innocent victim. Her suffering, unseen by the legal system except as a court-martial statistic, foreshadows the children Cady will later threaten. Aftermath Sam's intervention ruins Cady's life, and the girl disappears from the story. But the image of the whining victim will return when Carol makes the same sound under her bed.

Nancy as New Target Nancy as New Target from "The Executioners". Nancy as New Target Context At the boat yard, Cady watches Nancy in her short red shorts and says she is almost as juicy as her mother.

Nancy as New Target from "The Executioners". Nancy as New Target Context At the boat yard, Cady watches Nancy in her short red shorts and says she is almost as juicy as her mother.

Nancy as New Target Context At the boat yard, Cady watches Nancy in her short red shorts and says she is almost as juicy as her mother. Nancy feels the stare like worms. Significance The moment makes Nancy a sexual target, and the theme of lost innocence moves from memory to the present. Sam sees his daughter through a predator's eyes. Aftermath Nancy breaks her date and begins to understand the danger. Her girlhood is not destroyed, but it is now self-conscious and guarded.

Jamie Wounded Jamie Wounded from "The Executioners". Jamie Wounded Context Jamie is shot doing camp chores, a child struck by a bullet meant to kill.

Jamie Wounded Context Jamie is shot doing camp chores, a child struck by a bullet meant to kill. He survives, but the scar will always mark the summer when innocence was attacked. Significance Childhood in this book is not a fortress. The camp, the counselors, and the careful family rules all fail against a rifle fired from a hill. Aftermath Jamie turns the wound into a trophy, a way of mastering the terror. The lost innocence is recovered, but in a different key.

Carol's Merry-Go-Round Carol's Merry-Go-Round from "The Executioners". Carol's Merry-Go-Round Context In the doctor's office, Carol tells Sam about a childhood carnival ride that would not stop.

Carol's Merry-Go-Round from "The Executioners". Carol's Merry-Go-Round Context In the doctor's office, Carol tells Sam about a childhood carnival ride that would not stop.

Carol's Merry-Go-Round Context In the doctor's office, Carol tells Sam about a childhood carnival ride that would not stop. She feels like the world is spinning too fast and hurling her off. Significance The story fuses innocence and fear: the merry-go-round was supposed to be fun, but became a nightmare. Carol's adult terror has regressed her to the helpless child on the horse. Aftermath The doctor warns that Carol could break. Her recovery will require the family to confront the limits of their security.

The Island Afterward The Island Afterward from "The Executioners". The Island Afterward Context On Labor Day, the family returns to the island and the old rituals.

The Island Afterward from "The Executioners". The Island Afterward Context On Labor Day, the family returns to the island and the old rituals.

The Island Afterward Context On Labor Day, the family returns to the island and the old rituals. Sam thinks he is unexpectedly whole again, and Carol says she is stronger and braver. Significance The island is the book's image of recovered innocence, but it is a deliberate recovery, not a naive one. The family knows the world can turn violent at any moment. Aftermath They plan another child, swim, and laugh. The innocence that returns is tougher, sadder, and more beautiful than the one they had before.

1943

boat-yard confrontation

July 31

August 1 in Ellendon

Labor Day on the island