Marigolds (short story)

marigolds

The narrator describes the transition from childhood to adulthood as moving from innocence to compassion (definition: an understanding of the pain of others with a deep wish to relieve it). She says a person cannot have both. Do you agree? Using the narrator's definition of innocence above, explain your point of view.

Asked by kenz.000 on 18 Jan 11:18

Last updated by Gianni3 on 20 Mar 13:06

1 Answers

Answered by Cat on 18 Jan 18:26

I think this both innocence and compassion are compatible in some children. It really depends on their emotional maturity. A child might not understand the context of their emotions but they feel it. Children usually have to be taught empathy but some children have it to begin with. The narrator is able to look back on the memory through the compassion learned.