Imagine a young girl prancing around the driveway,skirting around mudpiles. When she accidentally slips on a dewy leaf causing a scrape,that wouldn’t be her fault. Other factors were the cause; the leaf was there and gravity is gravity. Now, take that same girl and put her on top of a staircase. If someone pushed her,it would be that person’s fault. Symbolism in Robert Cormier's We All Fall Down creates an apparent theme that self identity is found through falling form innocence. Jane and Buddy’s loss of innocence is brought on by their own stories. Jane’s house is a representation of Jane’s life. The escalator’s semblance show the recovery of each character.
The topic of loss of innocence is suggested through the main characters’ own experience. Others actions impacted Jane's innocence. The invasion of Jane's house directly invaded Jane's life (Cormier 1). Mickey Looney selecting Jane as a victim led to the destruction of her innocence (Cormier 166). In sharp contrast, Buddy’s fall from innocence repercussed from his choices. At the movie theater with Jane, Buddy’s gin falls out of his pocket (Cormier 147). This raised questions and distrust from jane. Buddy lost his innocence when Jane found out about his part in the invasion (Cormier 190).
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From the outside, Jane and the house remain unharmed,but the inside is wounded unrecognizable. A window never broke or even smudged is Jane's never faulty appearance (Cormier 91). The trashing left the house empty and without a purpose; Jane is weakened and numb (Cormier 8). The permanent,staining smell in the house represents how Jane can't rid her emotions (Cormier 37). Simply looking at the stains, reminds Jane she is surrounded by the stench. Without an outlet, Jane wishes she had an artistic ability to express her