Nurture and Nature in “Girls, At Play” Violet Spillers 11th Grade

People will always revert to what is most comfortable, reliant on their natural state. In Celeste Ng’s coming of age short story, “Girls, At Play”, the debate of nurture versus nature lies in the struggles between four girls. The theme of “Girls, At Play” is that no amount of nurturing can prevent a loss of innocence, found in the point of view, character, and plot.

The point of view of the story gives the perspective of someone trying to preserve purity. Grace seemed pure to the girls in the beginning, and saw her as a beacon of hope. When the girls first see the tiny girl on the playground, they long to protect her. “‘Grace,’ we repeat. ‘Grace.’ We like the sound of it, the round single syllable, like a polished metal bead. A simple name, a sweet name. A name not yet corrupted into a diminutive. We wonder, for a moment, if with Grace we can be Angela, Caroline, Amanda” (4). From the beginning, the three girls view Grace as ethereal, untouched by the world, and have hopes that she may revert them back to that state. Later, their perspective warps to see her at their own level. After teaching her all their dirty tricks, Grace surprises them by acting as they do. “Sometimes we look at her, at this new creature with darkened eyes...