The Loss of Innocence

     "The Flowers" has thus far presented a number of themes, but none have been so obvious as Sonny's loss of innocence, and coming-of-age. Sonny is forced to grow up far earlier than any child should, and continues to be forced into making adult decisions at the impressionable age of 15. Perhaps the first example of this is when he is attacked by a grown man on page 8-9. He has no choice but to defend himself by snatching a knife and standing his ground against the violent drunk. The next good example is when his dog, Goofy, is taken from him. Goofy the dog symbolizes Sonny's comfort and stability. After Cloyd takes Goofy away, it's clear that Sonny becomes a different person, a boy who no longer feels any real connection to his "family." Although I hate to use such an obvious example for the loss of innocence, I feel like I should mention Sonny losing his virginity to Cindy. I think perhaps in the depths of Sonny's mind, he feels somewhat influenced by Cloyd's "You gotta learn how to be a real man" speeches. Sonny never really wanted to have sex with Cindy, but when the opportunity presented itself, he took it to prove his manhood to himself, and perhaps, the twins. Something that really interests me is the fact that Nica is in the same situation. She has been forced to grow up far to quickly by her parents pulling her out of school and leaving her to care fro her baby brother all day and night. Sonny is quite drawn to Nica, perhaps for the reason that he understands what she's going through. This theme is definitely central to this novel in the way that it continues to be an issue for Sonny. He's aging rapidly through his many unusual tasks and encounters, and not even his mother seems to notice or care.