Guerry Witness and Mosquito Coast

I am a very innocent child, much the same as Samuel Lapp. When I was young, especially in my formative years, my parents had a bad habit of denying me access to the little boy's room. So you can imagine my pleasure when last week, upon completion of all pubescent phases, they finally quit restricting my restroom use. Harrison Ford fans, they've no doubt seen Witness and understood implicitly the dire consequences of the frequent draining of ones bladder. All joking aside, Samuel's experience in the train station stall prematurely began his moral descent from Utopian Amish society into the cesspool of American culture. The scene that confirms his corruption is when he receives a lecture from his grandfather, his patriarch, on the importance of living a life of pacifism. Non-violence, preaches the grandfather, is the only way to live. The sermon falls on deaf ears however, as Samuel's exposure to murder voices its discontent with this lifestyle. He further states his willingness to protect those he loves, regardless of the use or necessity of violence.

At the beginning of Mosquito Coast, Charlie Fox is a disciple. He follows his lord and father, Allie Fox, without question. He acknowledges the brilliance and eccentricity of his father with an awestruck reverence. Then his father murders a few rebels. The straw that broke the camels back, this act destroyed Charlie's love and past dedication to his father. Finally understanding the depth of his fathers insanity, this scene ceases Charlie's worship of the patriarch and begins the assertion of his own identity as an individual. Both Charlie and Samuel discover alternative lifestyles to their upbringing. The corrupted nature of their surroundings at the time of these revelations contribute to the assertion of themselves and their ideals over that of their respective patriarchs.