Reflection on Gauguin's "Manao Tupapau"

I think the theme of innocence in Paul Gauguin's "Manao Tupapau," or "Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch" is extremely fitting to the painting. When I first looked at the painting after knowing that the the title was "Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch," I thought that the white, European man next to the bed was the Spirit of the Dead. But after discussing it in class and locating the other, more subtle faces in the painting I soon realized that these other faces must be the spirit or spirits.

After discussing the girl in the painting in class, I fully realized the theme of innocence and even more specifically the destruction of innocence in Gauguin's paintings, especially "Manao Tupapau." The girl's facial expression is uncertain, and she is looking away from the European man. Her arms and legs are tense, showing discomfort. This way of lying uncomfortably on top of instead of comfortably underneath a white sheet--the color white portraying innocence--shows that she no longer has her innocence. Her innocence has been destroyed.

At first I did not know what the European man's significance was in the painting once I decided he was not the Spirit of the Dead. But now I think that he is the one who destroyed her innocence. I think that by violating her he took away her innocence without giving her a choice, and that causes her to look away from him; looking uncertain, scared, and betrayed. I think I would feel the same way if I was her. I would be frozen in my position as well, trying to piece together the disrespect that just happened to me. I feel like she doesn't know what to do next, and I would most likely feel the same sense of helplessness that she seems to be feeling.