This theme is a common one in many types of writing and discourse. It asks the question: What matters more, the way we’re born or the way we’re raised? This is a debate that comes up in criminal justice, in psychology, and even in discussion of LGBTQIA+ people. At the heart of this debate is the question of how important a person’s experiences are in shaping who they are. That is, does one behave from a place that is pre-determined and essential to that person? Or does one’s behavior change, evolve, and develop based on that person’s experience and resolution to live a certain kind of life or be a certain kind of person?

The question is openly addressed in the narrative through discussions of each of the children, but particularly in regard to Lucy, whose nature/nurture split is profound. Lucy’s position as “antichrist” firmly predisposes him to evil, death, and destruction. This is precisely why the word “antichrist” is forbidden at the orphanage; it is far too deterministic and casts a deep shadow over any other understanding of Lucy. Arthur makes clear that Lucy is also a child, one who has the capacity for many things, and who can be shaped and guided with love and compassion.