The theme of a loss of childhood is one that many can relate to. Truman Capote's short story, "A Christmas Memory" is a bitter sweet tale of both a great familial love and of innocence lost shared between a young child and his older cousin. The age difference between the cousins is great- more than fifty years- yet it is clear that the two are almost on the same level of intelligence. For example, when Buddy's cousin cries, running to her room and blowing her nose on her skirt, after two relatives scorn her, Buddy has to beg her to not cry and tries to say things to cheer her up. This is a child's role that she, as an adult plays. Another example is when Buddy and his cousin count the "moneys" kept in an ancient bead purse, hidden under a loose board in the floor. They count their money in the bead purse like children who count the money they have saved in their piggy bank. A third example showing her child-like characteristic is of how Buddy and his cousin raised money during the summer. One summer they conducted a "fun and freak museum". An adult would have gotten a job to earn money, but she chose activities that a child would do to earn money.
Throughout the story Buddy optimizes the loss of innocence people experience as they are forced to grow up. Buddy was removed from his "heaven on earth" and placed where he had no desire to be. Buddy's friend, however, was the exception, she never "grew up" and she was the only one who appreciated how wonderful life is.
Similar to "A Christmas Memory", by Truman Capote, the short story "The Destructors" by Graham Greene also has the characteristic of a loss of innocence. The setting plays an important part in the story because it tells why there is a loss of innocence and that what the boys did was not just random acts of violence. The story takes place in London about nine years after WWII after the occurring of "the first blitz". Because of this, the house had gone through a lot- while everything surrounding the house was destroyed, the house survived.