In Paolina’s Innocence, the author Larry Wolff gives readers an illustrated portrayal of how early forms of sexual abuse of children was preserved in early modern Europe by the public as well as the court of justice. Wolff explains the story of an eight year old servant girl who spent the night on the bed of a rich and well known man name Gaetano Franceschini. As Wolff explains the events that surrounded this troubling story, he also gives readers explanations of the adult behavior and attitudes of children in early Europe. Readers are able to grasp a clear idea of how the tribunal that was created in the sixteenth century viewed such transgression that occurred with the Paolina and how that effected the public’s perception of the incident.
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Also that child abuse is based on a societies understanding of what a child is defined to be, and in what ways they are different from an adult. Wolff states “without the cultural conviction of the fundamental innocence of childhood, the adult violation of the innocence could not be constructed as a crime” . In the case of Paolina Lozaro, the public acknowledged the problematic nature of the incident that occurred to Paolina, which is the reason it because such a scandal. But the traditional judicial court that was in place at the time “had not yet come to terms with the legal implications of a night of pinching in bed with an eight-year-old child” . Wolff’s argument proves to be convincing due to the many cases he presented to portray his ideas and understanding of Paolinas …show more content…
Being innocent means to be unaware of sexual matters; which was presented in Paolina’s character, which is why her mother did not want to ask her what happen to her in Franceschini’s apartment. According to Wolff “without the idea of childhood as something absolutely distinct from adulthood, without the notion of the child as an individual with a particular and childlike character, there could be no modern conception of child abuse” . Wolff explains in the book that although the concept of childhood as always existed, cultural understanding of a child’s immaturity and innocence shapes the perception of violence against
Also that child abuse is based on a societies understanding of what a child is defined to be, and in what ways they are different from an adult. Wolff states “without the cultural conviction of the fundamental innocence of childhood, the adult violation of the innocence could not be constructed as a crime” . In the case of Paolina Lozaro, the public acknowledged the problematic nature of the incident that occurred to Paolina, which is the reason it because such a scandal. But the traditional judicial court that was in place at the time “had not yet come to terms with the legal implications of a night of pinching in bed with an eight-year-old child” . Wolff’s argument proves to be convincing due to the many cases he presented to portray his ideas and understanding of Paolinas …show more content…
Being innocent means to be unaware of sexual matters; which was presented in Paolina’s character, which is why her mother did not want to ask her what happen to her in Franceschini’s apartment. According to Wolff “without the idea of childhood as something absolutely distinct from adulthood, without the notion of the child as an individual with a particular and childlike character, there could be no modern conception of child abuse” . Wolff explains in the book that although the concept of childhood as always existed, cultural understanding of a child’s immaturity and innocence shapes the perception of violence against