“The knowledge that makes us cherish innocence makes innocence unattainable,” Irving Howe. With knowledge of the world innocence is lost, this can be seen in several literary works including these coming of age stories; The Grave by Katherine Anne Porter, The Intruder by Andre Dubus and Where Have You Gone Charming Billy by Tim O’Brien. All of which have a similar lesson that the authors reveal through selective details that enhances the naïveté of characters which consequently is left behind in order to grow up. In The Grave the main character gets a wake up call to the reality of the world through the selective detail of realization of reproduction. The main character, Miranda, is a young girl who hunts and plays with her brother, Paul.
