Innocence in Danger: Baby’s Struggle in a World Without Mentors
What if the people who are meant to guide us in life end up being the ones who fail us? I’ve read about two-thirds of Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill, a story about a little girl named Baby surviving the streets of Montreal with her addict father, Jules. In this post, I want to explore how Baby reflects the Child archetype and how Jules, instead of guiding her like a Mentor should, becomes a failed version of that role.
The Child archetype often represents innocence, vulnerability, and hope, but it also depends on others for safety and guidance. One scene that stood out to me was when Baby says she wants to go with Jules to a drug deal and even mentions that she likes Paul, the drug dealer (O’Neill 11). This moment shows Baby as the Innocent Child because she doesn’t recognize the danger and instead trusts Paul in a childlike way. Her trust mixes curiosity and naivety, highlighting both her vulnerability and isolation.
Her innocence hides the danger she faces, making her vulnerable to harm. She thinks Paul is just fun and cool, while as a reader, I know he’s dangerous and inappropriate company for a child. It made me think about how easily children can be drawn into risky situations when they have no guidance.
Baby’s dependence on Jules also shows how much she relies on him for protection. In many stories, the Mentor archetype helps the child grow by offering wisdom and safety. Jules should fill this role in Baby’s life, but instead, he becomes a Failed Mentor.
When Jules is arrested and sent to rehab, Baby feels even more disconnected from him. At one point, she admits, “I would become a drug addict too” (O’Neill 72), thinking it would bring her closer to her father. This shows how deeply Jules fails as a Mentor, since his influence pushes Baby toward harm instead of growth. His failure made me reflect on how damaging it can be when a child’s protector becomes a source of danger.
Jules’s failure hit me hard. The line is written plainly, without judgment, which makes it even more powerful. O’Neill captures how a child can accept something destructive as normal, and that stylistic choice underlines Jules’s shortcomings.
Because Jules cannot guide or protect Baby, I predict she will face more struggles and risk following in her father’s footsteps. Without a strong Mentor, she may normalize pain and harmful relationships because she has no model of healthy love. It shows how one person’s failure can shape a child’s understanding of the world.
Baby clearly represents the Child archetype, while Jules becomes the Failed Mentor. O’Neill’s choice to use Baby’s innocent voice makes these roles even more powerful, showing the gap between what she sees and what the reader knows. It left me disturbed and thoughtful, realizing how fragile childhood can be when those meant to protect you are the ones who fail.
Works Cited
Biswell, Nick. “Shadow Of A Man Waiting.” Flickr, 6 May 2021, https://flic.kr/p/2kX537k.
O’Neill, Heather. Lullabies for Little Criminals. Harper Perennial, 2006.
ZAOUI, Fayssal. “Lonely Child.” Flickr, 23 November 2009, https://flic.kr/p/7hKiDe.
Filmmakers Alliance. "What is 'The Innocent Child' Archetype? (Definition and Examples)."
Filmmakers Alliance, https://filmmakersalliance.org/news/813558. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.
Scribophile. "What is the Mentor Archetype?" Scribophile,
https://www.scribophile.com/academy/what-is-the-mentor-archetype. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.
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