In "Child of God," the old man's reflection reveals a deep-seated belief about human nature. When asked by a deputy if people were meaner in the past, he contemplates the timelessness of human behavior. His response suggests that the essence of humanity has not changed over time; people are fundamentally the same regardless of the era. This perspective challenges the notion that society evolves into a more compassionate or cruel state. Instead, the old man's view implies that the capacity for kindness and meanness has always existed, rooted in the very essence of human existence.

In "Child of God," the old man's reflection reveals a deep-seated belief about human nature. When asked by a deputy if people were meaner in the past, he contemplates the timelessness of human behavior. His response suggests that the essence of humanity has not changed over time; people are fundamentally the same regardless of the era.

This perspective challenges the notion that society evolves into a more compassionate or cruel state. Instead, the old man's view implies that the capacity for kindness and meanness has always existed, rooted in the very essence of human existence.