Visions of Childhood

Among the many TV shows throughout history that depict childhood, one of my favorites is Everybody Hates Chris. This show ran from 2005 to 2008 and showed the everyday situations for a young, less fortunate, African American, boy with lots of enemies. Although it is a comedy, it has many serious messages about being a child. It speaks to the nature of being a kid by showing that being a kid is not as easy as some adults may think. There are many problems that kids face everyday and their naivety makes them even more difficult. It tells tells the story of Chris, who deals with enemies at home, school, and in the community.

In the stories we have read in the past week, there are many examples of childhood life. In Sutton pie safe and Every Little Hurricane, we see the main character being more mature than their age. I think Cates in Sutton Pie safe picks up on the awkwardness of the situation despite his his age. In Every Little hurricane the kid is extremely mature considering he sees such violence. In all the stories, I think the overall depiction of childhood is that kids are curious and a little naive but they are smarter than many think. They are capable of being mature and dealing with tough situations. Some differences are prevalent. In bottle caps and the Oates piece, the characters start out less mature and grow into adults, while the other two pieces contain a characters who is already grown up. I think the authors do get it right, in that, most children are capable of adapting to their environment and growing up when it matters most.