INNOCENT DEFINITION:being of pure intent and motive CATEGORIES:identity, interactive, moral SIMILAR ATTRIBUTES:blameless POSSIBLE CAUSES: A sheltered upbringing A developmental disability (e.g. Down Syndrome) Never having experienced evil, cruelty, or hatred Seeing only the good in humanity Mental deterioration and old age ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS: Candidness Honesty Curiosity Being exceptionally trusting of others Not being superficial Kindness Seeing the positive in every situation Vulnerability Respecting others Showing genuine confusion when others lie or deceive Friendliness Trustworthiness Making mistakes without realizing it Answering questions directly, without couching Looking people directly in the eye Being excitable or enthusiastic Seeing things in a practical light Wearing one’s emotions on one’s sleeve Being confused by sarcasm and irony Telling others precisely how one feels Asking questions that unknowingly cross boundaries into another’s privacy Listening with enjoyment to people telling stories or recounting their adventures Having difficulty with concepts beyond one’s experience (hate crimes, war, famine, etc.) Being emotional without being embarrassed Being passionate about one’s interests even if others are not Admitting when one has made a mistake Being willing to help others Being a peacemaker; being uncomfortable when one is at odds with others Optimism Smiling and laughing easily Taking things literally Believing people have one’s best interests at heart ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS: Mom and Dad will know what to do. Why is Jim upset? Of course Elijah will pay him back as soon as he can. It’s too bad Marie broke her leg, but at least she can catch up on her reading. Kara said she was sorry. Why won’t Lewis forgive her? ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:adoration, curiosity, excitement, happiness, love POSITIVE ASPECTS:Innocent characters are pure and trusting. They take what they see at face value, always finding something worthwhile where others may only see the negative. Regardless of age, they’re often perceived as childlike—good, yet vulnerable, which makes them easy to like and protect. NEGATIVE ASPECTS:In their determination to only see the good, innocent characters may not view the world and other people as they truly are, which puts them at a disadvantage. While some may admire their innocence, others will see it as a weakness to be exploited, making them an easy mark. Still others view innocence as a fault that needs to be eradicated for the innocent character’s “own good,” and they set out to do so by revealing harsh truths to destroy their childish delusions. EXAMPLE FROM FILM:Edward, the emotionally fragile character inEdward Scissorhands,lives isolated in a gothic mansion, an artificial man with scissor blades for hands. When he is shown kindness by his neighbor, he falls in love with Kim and begins to open up and interact with the townspeople. With the good comes bad, and he is betrayed by people wishing to use him. After a final altercation that ends in the accidental death of Kim’s boyfriend, Edward recognizes that he is not capable of handling the tumult of emotion that exists beyond the walls of his home and chooses isolation once more.Other Examples from Literature and Film:Tom Cullen (The Stand), John Coffey (The Green Mile), Fraulein Maria (The Sound of Music) TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:bold, controlling, cruel, flirtatious, gullible, manipulative, mature, persuasive, selfish CHALLENGING SCENARIOS FOR THE INNOCENT CHARACTER: PLOTLINE: Witnessing a crime PLOTLINE: Discovering that one has been lied to or betrayed in some way PLOTLINE: Living in an environment where people hide who they really are (high school, etc.) PLOTLINE: Being told to lie in order to protect a close family member or friend