People will always return to what is most comfortable, relying on their natural state. In Celeste Ng's coming-of-age story, “Girls, At Play,” the debate between nurture and nature lies in the fights between four girls. The theme of "Girls, At Play" is that no amount of nurturing can prevent a loss of innocence, found in point of view, character and plot. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Culture and Opposition to Nature Through Perspective, Characters, and Setting The point of view of the story offers the perspective of someone trying to preserve purity. At first Grace seemed pure to the girls and they saw her as a beacon of hope. When the girls first see the little girl on the playground, they want to protect her. “'Grace,' we repeat. 'Adorn.' We like its sound, the single round syllable, like a pearl of shiny metal. A simple name, a sweet name. A name not yet corrupted into a diminutive. We wonder, for a moment, if with Grace we could be Angela, Caroline, Amanda” (4). From the beginning, the three girls see Grace as ethereal, untouched by the world, and hope that she can return them to that state. Subsequently, their perspective warps to see it at their same level. After teaching her all their dirty tricks, Grace surprises them by acting like them. “Sometimes we look at her, this new creature with dark eyes and elegant clothes, holding her head high in the corridors, seeing people looking at her, blinking and smiling. At first she seems like a stranger” (9). By acting like them, Grace is now "other," transformed from a person to be protected into a total stranger. Despite all their attempts to stop her from desecrating herself, she continues to follow them. From the girls' point of view, Grace should not throw away her childhood of toys; she's lucky to live without having to please boys. The characters and their development show that this is what Grace would become from the beginning. The girls try to hold on to what remains of Grace's childhood. Shortly after becoming friends, the girls go to Grace's house to start teaching her everything they know. «We are busy with Grace, because she knows almost nothing. We teach her important things, like finding the best seats at the cinema. Ask for butter in the center of the popcorn, not just on top. How to break rubber” (5). Due to her lack of experience, the girls return to their childhood. As a result, Grace stands up to girls and wants to be taken seriously. While the three girls act like children, Grace takes a big step towards herself by trying on their clothes secretly. “We put on crowns, wigs, bunny ears and a cup in front of the mirror, and that's when we see Grace behind us. He's not wearing a costume. She's put on our clothes – Angie's lace top, Carrie's denim skirt, and Mandy's platform shoes – and she's not looking at herself in the mirror” (7). Grace has grown from the child they first met to imitating the actions they are so ashamed of. Grace's true values ​​and desires come to light through her development as a girl and as a character. The events within the story show both the suppression and growth of Grace's sexual knowledge. This transition from pure to "dirty" as they are reminds the girls that Grace refused to heed their warnings. Even though they still see her as a little girl in need of protection, the girls ignore any mention of The Game. “'I like your bracelets,' she says. We insert them under the sleeves of the coat. “I am nothing,” we say. «Just old.