The African-American Experience as Seen in Coutnee Culler's "Incident" and Alice Walker's "The Flowers".

Each generation has something to steal the innocence of the children. Some have war while others have economic ruin. The generations of African Americans following the end of slavery had hatred, ignorance, and racism. Racism rudely steals innocence before its time. The poem "Incident" by Coutnee Culler and the short story "The Flowers" by Alice Walker, both take the reader to a time when all it takes is one word or moment to steal a …

…Innocence is extremely fragile and easily lost. Usually, it evanesces over time as one learns about the world, but it can quickly disappear when confronted by something as strong and forceful as racism. Two young African American children lose their innocence in the poem "Incident" and the short story "The Flowers". As with many young African Americans of their time, they are exposed to the harsh reality of racism, and their childlike innocence is stolen.