The Repository @ St. Cloud State

Open Access Knowledge and Scholarship

Date of Award

8-1993

Culminating Project Type

Creative Work

Degree Name

English: M.A.

Department

English

College

College of Liberal Arts

First Advisor

Armand Falk

Second Advisor

R. John DeSanto

Third Advisor

Rex Veeder

Keywords and Subject Headings

Vigilante justice against pedophiles

Abstract

The intent of To Protect The Innocent is to dramatically portray the issue of child sex abuse in an engaging manner. Child sex abuse has become a major problem, both in the United States and abroad and I believe it has not received adequate attention. I also feel that due to the emotional nature of the subject it can be well described in a fictional forum, which is what I tried to do in this book. Contemporary facts and figures concerning the issue are threaded throughout the novel and the human elements are demonstrated through the interaction of its various characters.

Child sex abuse is obviously an emotional issue which makes for engrossing fiction. But, I want To Protect The Innocent to be more than just a fictional portrayal of the issue. I also intend the book to examine philosophical questions of right and wrong using the child sex abuse issue as a model. Throughout the story the main character wrestles with moral conflicts focusing on the age-old question of "does the end justify the means?"

Part of my inspiration for the main character's ongoing inner battle is Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. In that work the character Kurtz questions traditional concepts of right and wrong and concludes that, indeed, the end does justify the means. Early in my novel the main character agrees with Kurtz, but by the end he concludes that no matter how moral the end is, it can never justify immoral means. I believe I achieved my goal of presenting a comprehensive look at pedophilia.

Comments/Acknowledgements

Page 77 and 94 are missing.

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