In the book heroes, innocence is a very prominent theme. This is seen in most characters because in the end we see that most characters are left sinful and have made many mistakes, but even at the start we know that not everyone is innocent because of the book not being in chronological order. It could mess with people's minds, but it could also show a way of looking at things. Firstly, the structure of the novel is important because when we read the book we are not reading the start, we are technically reading the end, which is confusing but it relates to the theme of innocence because the innocence is already gone and Francis looks back on the flashbacks in despair. This is seen when Francis remembers he said “the most beautiful girl I’ve …show more content…
This is seen when Francis says “her hair dishevelled, mouth flung open, lips swollen”. This quote shows how much of an awful person Larry is because it shows how he ruined Nicole's and Francis's trust. He was their hero, and he did something a hero should never do in the book, we see that he doesn't even admit the rape, even when Francis tried to kill him. We also see her innocence when the colour white is always represented when Francis is talking about her. This is seen when he says “White blouse torn” and “pale purity of her skin”. The “white blouse” could represent her virginity because it was the clothes that she was wearing when Larry raped her, it could show that he tore her virginity from her when she was young. The representation of “pale purity” could show that Francis believes that she is pure and like the nuns that they know. In total, Nicole was innocent like the nuns until Larry stole her virginity. Finally, Larry appears to have lost his innocence. Although he is known to cause others to lose their innocence, the war has had a similar effect on him. This change is evident when Francis first sees him after the war and notices a difference in his appearance. Francis describes him as "knife-like, lethal, his features sharper." This transformation suggests that the war has taken a toll on Larry, and he is no longer the hero he once was. Before the war, he was a hero to the children and the wreck-centres. However, now he appears weak, and it seems like the war has stripped him of his heroic