They Shall Inherit the Earth: Loss of Innocence At some point in life, we will all experience the loss of innocence. This loss is not a choice but an eventuality. In the novel "They Shall Inherit the Earth", Michael Aikenhead, Andrew Aikenhead and Dave Choate have all experienced this loss of innocence in different ways, but mainly through the perspective of others. Morley Callaghan in "They Shall Inherit the Earth" demonstrates the loss of innocence through the actions and conflicts between the characters in the novel. Michael Aikenhead had always been an impulsive individual, even while he was just a boy, and