Childhood

Shawnelle Ross

English 101

Childhood

Childhood is very interesting. There is so much that you can do as a child. You can play as long as you want to and not have a care in the world. You don’t have to worry about finances or the consequences of your actions. You have the games like baseball and hopscotch to pass the time. The worst thing that could happen is when the street light came on and ruined your game.

A child has no major worries about life. They have no bills to pay or any dependants to take care of. They can go out and have fun. For example in Amy Dillard’s story “The Chase” those children were having a wonderful time throwing snowballs at passing cars. They never really thought about the trouble that they were causing and when the man got out and started to chase them it scared the living daylights out of them. The thoughts that were racing through Dillard’s head as she ran from yard to yard, dodging trees, and her lungs burning were about the outcome of her actions. What if the man caught her? What would he do? It became real all of a sudden, it was something that she had never anticipated.

Childhood also has it downside. A child has to deal with the rules of adults. They also have to think about how their peers see them. Amy Tan’s story “Fish Cheeks” talks about the troubles of adolescence. The girl in the story is self conscious of her family and its traditions that she forgets to enjoy the holiday and her favorite foods. She never thought to try to introduce the boy of her dreams to her culture. Would he think she was weird or make fun of her and her family? Children can get so caught up in their emotions and trying not to break the rules that they forget to have fun. The way a child perceives something is also very interesting. Maya Angelou’s