Within Pearson's The Hero Within and Campbell's The Hero With a
             Thousand Faces there is much attention paid to the archetype of the
             Innocent. Though the works are very different in focus, Pearson's work
             being more an establishment of real life, modern patterns associated with
             real psychological development within real individuals and Campbell's work
             conversely a representation of psychological processes as they are applied
             to literature and characterization. Though the Campbell work intends to
             lead the reader to wonder how the works applies to the real, it is only by
             secondary causation, while Pearson intends to give insight to the real
             person through the direct application of demonstration of thoughts and acts
             of the archetypes, present in us all.
             The treatment of the Innocent archetype is very similar throughout
             both of the works. The Innocent is a temporary state of psychological
             progress. Though the Innocent, in a sense reestablishes itself as a
             dominant character eventually it is only through the virtues, of the
             innocent found most important to the hero, or the whole person. The
             innocent is the hero, or character before the exploration of the less than
             innocent world begins. The Innocent must learn from hardship, depravity
             and evil that the virtuous characteristics of life are those best suited
             for them even after they know the evils of the world. It is as if the
             world can be made better by the hero's adherence to the virtues of
             innocence and the protection of the innocent's who still exist, in a
             In characterization, the Innocent is childlike, in both works.
             Childlike ignorance leads the individual to assume things about his or her
             world and self that may or may not be true. In the opening pages of the
             Campbell work it is clear that the innocent princess is protected by the
             perfection of her world. When something that she loves is suddenly taken
             ...