The Novitiate

The Eternal Struggle Between Innocence and Acceptance The desire to be accepted by others is sought by people all around the world. In “The Novitiate”, a short story by Jean Howarth, the main character, a youthful girl, is faced with a choice about acceptance and personal beliefs. The story takes place in the Prairies in the 1940s, when money was rewarded for exterminating gophers. The girl faces a decision that requires her to give up …

…values and innocence to befriend someone, earn respect or to be accepted. This innocence can be taken away easily, but can never be recovered. Facing some realities can be tough to deal with, and many people sometimes cannot deal with them, which is why things such as suicide take place in today’s society. The bottom line is that Howarth believes people will thrust aside their whole way of life to be accepted by society.