Another Type of Innocence

After reading the rest of The Hidden Hand, a quote stuck out to me that I kept reading over and over again because it is so true involving Capitola: "She had indeed the innocence of youth, but not its simplicity" (p. 187) This seemed to tell readers that although Capitola is only a young girl, she had endured things that some adults have not gone through. 

Capitola talks about having to "[sell her] clothes, piece by piece, to the old Jew over the way," in order to have food for herself (p. 182). She was "trying to get jobs every hour in the day," discovering that nobody wants to hire a petty girl that has no muscle or strength to do odd jobs (p. 182). When worse came to worse, Capitola felt as if though "there seemed to be nothing but starvation or beggary," giving her no way to survive (p. 182). She finally decides that the only way she can make money and feed and support herself is to become a boy. As soon as the idea occurred to her, Capitola goes to the old Jew's shop and asks for "the raggedest suit of boy's clothes he had, whether they'd fit [her] or not" (p. 184) Capitola ends up making a great living for herself, not having to worry if she can eat when the next meal rolls around.

This story captures the very essence of the determination Capitola had to survive, yet she accomplishes it in the most humble and innocent way possible. Never once does she think about stealing or resorting to any kind of prostitution that some girls might have had to give in to. She provides for herself in the Great American Way: hard, sweaty work. While telling her story, she even worries that the judge and Old Hurricane "dare to think but what [she] did" (p. 184). This attitude she has to take care of herself shows great character even though she is a young child.