Innocence In Miss Johnson's Going To The Moon

At one point in each individual’s life, innocence will cease to exist. In the short story Going to the Moon, the little boy feels a sense of belonging and joy towards his teacher. Entitlement has played a large role in the protagonist’s life. The protagonist has not experienced valuable life lessons which allows one to recognize the evil in the world. Miss Johnson’s class fosters an environment that exposes her students to real world events, thus understanding the relationship between good and evil. Miss Johnson teaches her students about NASA, which introduces them to another world, other than their own. In the beginning of the short story, the young boy has only viewed the positive aspects of the world, allowing his vacuous perspective to continue to feel, “protected in that common love, in the importance I gained in sharing it, as if I’d been included in a game that could have no losers, no chance
Both characters display vulnerability, and innocence through lack of experience in life events. The protagonist’s world revolves around his morning adventures, which presents the idea of vulnerability. The individual has a sense of joy and excitement, which is seen in the following quotation; “Half-past four! Half-past four! till his brain had gripped the words and held them fast. Then he fell asleep at once, as if a shutter had fallen; lay with his face turned to the clock so that he could see it first thing when he woke” (1). His inability to focus on anything but going outside reveals childlike behaviour. The protagonist’s lack of maturity and life experiences prove he is naïve in believing no harm can come to him both physically and emotionally. In Going to the Moon, Miss Johnson’s teaching practices lead the protagonist to experience tragedy. Through experiencing life’s moments, he undergoes a transformation from innocence to a deeper sense of maturity and