Richardson uses "narrative distance" to treat Laura, the "subject" of the novel, with irony (Treagus 204). Furthermore, the use of third-person narration serves to prevent sympathetic reactions towards Laura. The passage supports this, as Laura's fears of social exclusion are only referred to as “problems” (Richardson 169). While Richardson trivializes Laura's reactions to social ostracism, the destruction of her innocence is the lasting result of these experiences. Laura's fear of embarrassment contrasts with her initial inability to understand the “elusive code of moderation” that governs the actions of her peers (O'Loughlin 88). These social pressures become key motivations for Laura's subsequent actions. This includes his refusal to wear the purple dress, due to “the opinions held by his companions” (Richardson 171). However, Laura's subsequent actions, which mirror those of her tormentors, reveal the transformation of her character. As a result, Laura felt no “sympathy” for a girl who had gone through the “same experience” of social ostracism (Richardson 167). This highlights the negative direction of Laura's development. Richardson's rejection of the common literary devices of the period supports the importance of this theme in the text. Richardson challenges the Bildungsroman genre (Pratt 7) while “mocking previous morality tales” set in schools (Treagus 201). Through subverting traditional narrative direction, Richardson undermines the very social pressures that influence Laura's development. The destruction of innocence in The Getting of Wisdom reveals how Richardson attempts to critique the imposition of gender roles through her fiction