: The 14-year-old protagonist is an archetypal figure of "lost innocence". She begins as a sweet, church-going girl, a blank slate onto which the desires of the men around her are projected. As the story progresses, she becomes complicit in her own corruption and eventually in the corruption of others, like her friend Julia. This transformation can be read as a dark commentary on how societal and religious institutions destroy innocence, turning victims into perpetrators.