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What is the importance of character development in literature
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Childhood, a time to play and discover. The innocence of a child is remembered and coveted by adults. Having the complete freedom to do whatever you please with no responsibilities is a dream come true, but you have to grow up one day. Chores need to be done around the house, a job is necessary to provide for a family, and decisions need to be made to prosper a household. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck centers around a young boy coming of age and learning the responsibilities of an adult. Labor and hard work are a sign of maturity. Robert Peck learned these responsibilities at a young age. Maturity Is often reached when an individual realizes their purpose. When children become teens, they are forced to do chores by their
The childhood of a young boy is very crucial in what he will be like in his own life.
...ren who will soon become teenagers. In spite of Teddy’s creativity and imagination, his uncle and aunt blame him for being absent from the real world. Teddy has to mentally grow up in order to meet the expectation from his society. In addition, he is in conflict with his uncle who makes fun of his paper dolls. Finally, he is in conflict with himself since, at the end of the story, he cries after he has torn his imaginary city into shreds. In our society, childhood ends about the same way as described in The Fall of a City. In the beginning, the child would complain about the change of their home schedule, and gradually the kid starts to adapt to his new daily activities. It is necessary that parents put pressure on their child so the youngster gradually becomes mature in order to match social standards.
When the word childhood comes up, a few former memories begin to resonate. When adults reflect on their own childhood, they are likely to think of innocence, taking naps, wild fancy, and the idea of simple pleasures. However today’s children tend to not be thought of with these characteristics. They are usually assumed to be spoiled rats that lack most good behaviors. Our youngsters are supposedly being molded by culture and don’t display any ideals that past generations respected. Yet young adults and earlier generations can reason that childhood is as much present as it has ever been. Contemporary children’s literature reveals how those characteristics are still prevalent in our world.
Both Olufemi Terry’s “Stickfighting Days” and Nadine Gordimer’s “The Ultimate Safari” explore how life without an adult impacts a child’s life. “Stickfighting Days” entails the life of children without parents, specifically Raul’s life, who steals food to cater to his hunger. He, in turn, proves that he is untrustworthy and exemplifies antisocial behavior. Contrarily, “The Ultimate Safari” includes a courageous grandmother steering her grandchildren toward a better life than she had. Her ability to overcome obstacles allows her grandchildren to prosper. Each author considers how a child’s wellbeing is dependent upon the presence of an adult.
We spend most of our childhood wishing and dreaming of growing up. It seems that no matter what you try and do, you are never old enough, tall enough, or wise enough. It is funny that when you finally do grow up, you spend the rest of your life wishing you could turn back time and become young again. As a child you are constantly put in positions that make you feel inferior and unimportant in society. For example, you are put at the “kid’s table” at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner until your family thinks you are old enough to sit at the “adult table”. If that is not degrading, I don’t know what it. Childhood is the most important stage in development. It is here that we establish ourselves as individuals and begin to prepare for adulthood. However, through research it has become apparent that our ideas of childhood and adolescence have changed over time. They have been adapted and influenced according to the changes in our society and current opinions of what childhood should be at the time. The evolution of the depiction of childhood and adolescence from innocence to independence can be seen through the works of British literature from the Medieval, Romantic, Victorian, and Post-Modern eras.
Childhood, a time of adventure; a time when the world is large and mysterious, and there is always more explore; a time when there is no wrong that could not be righted by a mother's kiss. This is the childhood described by Robert Frost. He describes this through a portrayal of the child's game of riding birches; a careful climb, a well timed jump, and an exhilarating swing. Then he describes the loss when one ages. How one by one this boy subdues the trees until there are none left to swing from. Frost then finishes off by showing his longing to return to those days.
Childhood and Adolescence was written by Spencer A. Rathus. In chapter one talks about the history, theories and methods. At the beginning of the chapter it talks the history and what the study of children really is. It also talks about John B. Watson, who was the founder of American behaviorism. His viewed development as learning. In this chapter the book also talks about how back in the Middle ages children were often viewed as something bad and so discipline was harsher. Back in this time children were only nurtured until they were seven. When they turn seven which was called the “age of reason”. After they turned seven they had to work to get food and water. They also had to dress, work, and act like the adults did. Things began to changes
Anne Frank once said, “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” This final forming of a person’s character depends on their actions along the path from innocence to experience. Parents can put their kids on the pathway of innocence to experience but it's the child that must find a way to cross the bridge between innocence and experience by themselves. For some people it is the small events like death that can trigger or push them to change their perspective on life. Doris Lessing, Sandra Birdsell and Alistair Macleod use symbolism to signify that the pathway from innocence to experience involves an encounter with death in the stories “A Sunrise on the Veld”, “Stones” and “To Everything There Is a Season”.
The boys' high pitched giggles reminded me of my impatient youth that could not wait for life to pass me by: for holidays, for school, or to grow a little older. Anticipation to unfold the future filled me with a spunk that energized the passage of time to whizz by. Now, I cling on to every nostalgic moment wishing for its return, to tether me down, to prolong the responsibly creeping up on me. Some of the responsibilities allow me to decide for myself and be a trustworthy person. Little me dreamed of the capabilities granted to me now; I drive myself anywhere want without the hinderance of constantly needing supervision and late nights out with friends that go well past my old bedtime. I gained more respect by my elders and teacher. I never stopped aspiring to live by the standards that I laid out for myself. As a youngster, in a world forged by adults, I portrayed a grown, sophisticated individual hopefully accepted into the exclusive world that only age that could bring entry. I proved myself to be wrong and right; I gained trust and respect but in the process I t...
Childhood and adulthood are two different periods of one’s lifetime but equally important. Childhood is the time in everybody’s life when they are growing up to be an adult. This is when they are being considered babies because of their youthfulness and innocence. Adulthood is the period of time where everybody is considered “grown up,” usually they begin to grow up around the ages of eighteen or twenty-one years old but they do remain to develop during this time. However, in some different backgrounds, not everybody is not fully adults until they become independent with freedom, responsible for their own actions, and able to participate as an adult within society. Although childhood and adulthood are both beneficial to our lives, both periods share some attributes such as independence, responsibility, and innocence that play distinctive roles in our development.
As we are growing up, something much more valuable than money or social status deserts us little by little without our notice. Maybe we will begin to appreciate the simple things in life again and discover the real difference between children and adults after reading this beautiful tale.
Stainton Rogers, W. (2003) ‘What is a child?’ in Woodhead, M. and Montgomery, H. (eds) (2003) Understanding Childhood: John Wiley and Sons Ltd in association with the Open University, p21.
The children of this time did not have the leisure to enjoy their youth. Hard times, starvation, crowded conditions prevented children from their inherent right to youth. Frequently, children too young to work in the factories took care of even younger children, "before that, I had to take care of a baby for my aunt.
To me and many others, our childhood were years were even the most impossible of dreams were very possible realities. Remember when childhood meant going out and rolling about in the mud? Remember when childhood meant everyday was a new adventure. One day we were sailing the seas with swashbuckling pirates, the next exploring new worlds and then battling ferocious dragons with noble knights. We never wanted it to end, growing up was the last thing on our little minds.
A childhood is the delicate phase of every adolescent's life where they must mature into their own person, with their own responsibilities. Although every individual will eventually bloom with their own personality, morals, and perspectives, the education and values we learn and see along the way add to the fingers that mold. We begin when we are born, and are taken in by strangers. These priceless people show us love, and just how strong attachments can be. Family ties snare us in their loving webs and become the support network to catch us throughout our youthful falls. They are our first real pictures of people, and their actions and emotions immediately become examples.