MovieChat Forums > The Innocents (1961) Discussion > Why was Miles expelled from school?

Why was Miles expelled from school?

posted 8 years ago by bonidea
3 replies | jump to latest

As many times as I've seen this movie, I've always managed to miss the explanation. Thanks.

[–] ScaryMary123 8 years ago

He was expelled because he "said things." I took this to mean that he was much more sexually aware than the other boys and perhaps even tried to engage them in sexual activities of some sort--all because of what he learned from Quint.

[–] jon-31 8 years ago

No real explanation is ever given, not in the film and not in the original story. As with so much else in the story, we can make of it what we will. Maybe Miles was up to no good, maybe the school got upset about nothing. The governess sees it as further evidence of the possession, as she would.

[–] NickiDrea 8 years ago

The letter says he would "contaminate and corrupt" the other boys.

For the time period, it likely means that he was incorrigible/uses vulgar language and that he's a negative influence on the other boys.

That hexagon-face bitch, she's so passive-aggressive.