During the 1950's, the fabric of American society was undone and again rewoven to incorporate many social changes new to our culture. A counterculture was born and bred in this era, bringing with it new values that challenged the traditions held by the parents of the 50's generation. "The Runaways" pictures a small boy running away from home, sitting next to a police officer in a diner, unusually casual. Normally, we would think an officer to be shocked and troubled at this situation, but the officer here appears to hold no qualms about the young escapee. This demonstrates the devaluing of what the older generations thought and the growing dominance of the younger generation's values - the boy is running away to establish independence for himself, and the older gentlemen seems to accept this. Rockwell's "The Runaway" overlooks the fundamental rift that was rising in America throughout the 1950's - an emerging counterculture that was not concerned with how things were but rather how they are.
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