We keep innocence as a valued comodity to childhood but as Rapunzel teaches us somethings must be shed to move on in life.
It was said by author Donna Tartt “I think innocence is something that adults project up children that’s not really there.” In her desire to keep Rapunzel from the danger of the world out doors the witch did what she thought was best to keep her innocent. Even though she locked her in a tower with only one way in or out, adulthood still came in. The loss of innocence in many ways is part of growing up. Being innocent in a childlike sense is not necessarily a good thing for adults. The world is not kind nor does it take those who are innocent and naive kindly, they are typically the ones that get chewed up, spit out and left by the side of the road for dead.
Even though Rapunzel didn’t have the knowledge about what she was doing she still had to pay the consequences for it which was to get pregnant for having sex. This is a major reason why I am a strong supporter of sex education. Under many people’s belief, virginity is the last stronghold of innocence. So we tell our children they must remain innocent that they shouldn’t have sex and really I agree young people shouldn’t have sex. However, we can’t lock them in towers so that they can stay that way forever. Being a teenager who had it shoved down her throat that I should remain a virgin until I was married I can say all the propaganda doesn’t work all the time. I knew the propaganda but I chose to rebel against it, knowingly, under no one else’s coercion. For those kids who choose not to listen is it better for them to be prepared for what can happen and how to protect themselves or to allow them to be subject to all of the harsh realities that irresponsibility can bring?
Part of the experience of growing up is to shed the “shackles” of childhood. Whether we choose to lock our children up in towers or to let them run free we have to understand that their innocence isn’t going to always be there. Even though innocence can be our projection upon childhood it is what makes it special for us in our memories. If we still had our childlike innocence would we be able to value childhood has much as we do? Perhaps this is the moral that Rapunzel teaches us, that though we value innocence we should learn to let it go in its natural timing.
