Visions of Childhood

There are many movies shows that show the fun times that childhood presents: both the good memories and the learning experiences (bad memories). One series that I have seen many times, that clearly depicts some great childhood fears and moments is the Home Alone series. The first one is about an 8 year old boy, Kevin McCallister, who is deserted by his parents over Christmas. He has to deal with the boredom of being alone, thieves, and common household chores such as laundry. This perfectly displays how lessons of childhood can be put to use such as chores, while showing the humor and creativity that many children possess -- fending off the burglars. The nature of being a kid is also shown by Kevin passing the time playing video games, doing other kids things that show how small things are extremely interesting and can pass the time during childhood. Although a lot of Kevin's problems aren't normal for a kid to have, they depict many childhood temperaments.

In the stories that we have read this week, the stories depict kids that are acting maturely for their age. For example, in "Every Little Hurricane," Victor relates the party to a the storm that is coming as well as realizing the effects of alcohol at an early age. This maturity is also seen in the "Sutton Pie Safe," when Cates picks up on the 'affair' or the tension between the dad and the woman. The stories all show how kids grow through their experiences and are largely affected by the setting that they grow up in -  showing vast differences between the rural, neighborhood, and the reservation lifestyles. In this respect, I think that the authors got it right, it is the experiences that a child has that gives them knowledge beyond their years.