The Yellow Crayon

When a condemned woman requests that the local Minister take her daughter home, the childless man is moved and unable to refuse. Nonetheless, the prisoner is unrepentant about her husband’s death. Will her vices be passed down to this ostensibly innocent child? Are our morality instilled in us by instruction and example, or do we come into this world with our personality and values pre-programmed? The Legacy of Cain by Wilkie Collins is an intriguing take on the age-old nature-versus-nurture conflict.