Lullabies for Little Criminals

Loss of Innocence inLullabies for Little Criminals

Preserved Through Positive Relationships

Foster Mothers

Mary and Isabelle provide Baby with the relationship she wants with the time spent with them.

"I get excited when grown up paid attention to me. It always made me feel special" (O'Neill 192).

Xavier

Allows Baby to see what true love really is.

"Xavier wasn't put-on earth to witness the bad things like Jules and I were" (O'Neill 316).

Poor Environment

Bad Neighbourhood

Surrounded by bad influences like pimps, drugs and prostitution.

Constantly Moving Homes

When living with her father Jules, they often would to different 'shaggy' apartments.

"I never felt so lonely in my life" (O'Neil 246).

Foster Homes

When a younger child, Baby frequently moved from different foster homes.

Unhealthy Relationships

Always has put drugs ahead of a relationship with Baby, never allowing Baby to have a positive role model to follow.

Zoe

Gives Baby the idea that having sex at a young are is normal and okay to do.

"You have to lose your virginity when you turn twelve" (O'Neill 29).

Forces Baby to become his sex slave, later a prositute which leads Baby into becoming addicted to heroin.

"He told me that I was white trash and slapped me, which left an imprint of his hand on my face for three days" (O'Neill 369).

Poor Role Models

Stacey

Sells the drugs to Baby with no concern of her age.

"Despite having known me since I was nine years old, Stacey wasn't at all freaked out about selling me dope." (O'Neill 381).

Jules

Surrounds Baby with drugs all throughout growing up and has no steady job to have money for them.

"Jules used to get down on his hands and knees and beg me for my teeth to put under his own pillow, telling me he needed the money more than me" (O'Neill 89).

Alphonse

Convinces twelve year old Baby that drugs and prostitution are good for her.