smth goes to washington

People’s ideals have a certain innocence about them, just as people themselves do. The ideals held by the respective characters in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Passing, all vary in degrees of innocence. The ideals of most men are innocent at the core, but have become jaded and hidden behind the cynicism and realization of maturity. The influences of society and one’s surroundings contribute to the make-up of innocence and trigger changes …

…honest man, he later learned and accepted the truth. But Smith’s innocence also lies in his ideals and beliefs, and his ideals were unchanged throughoiut the film, therefore remaining innocent of outside influences. It can be thought of that there are two types of innocence, that of the passer and that of the observer. Smiths observer innocence was changed, but that did not effect his actions and he therefore was still an innocent passer.