symbol of Atlantis

Atlantis is a symbol of loss, in particular, a loss of innocence in terms of the belief that the world is a good place. Atlantis is mentioned in the stories “Hearts in Atlantis” and “Blind Willie.” Atlantis is a mythical city believed to have been destroyed in an earthquake by the gods because they were unhappy with the immoral way the people there were living. The island on which Atlantis was located was submerged under the ocean so it could never be reinhabited. Pete refers to Atlantis as being his mindset before he went to college. He believed people were basically good and would not intentionally hurt anyone. In college, he learned that other people, like Malenfant, did not necessarily have his best interests in mind and would try to make him fail. Pete also learned when he went along with making fun of Stokely, a handicapped boy, that he was capable of savagery by proxy if he spent too much time with the wrong people.