Week 3: To Be and to Have

Watching “To Be and to Have” brought me back to a specific part of my childhood. I didn’t go to school in a one room school house, but every summer, my grandma put together a summer school program for all of her grandchildren. We weren’t learning quite the same things you’d learn in school, but I couldn’t help being reminded of it while we watched the movie. My grandma taught us a little about science and English, but also how to be courteous of each other and work together.

To Be and to Have focused on teaching children, which was part of our topic for last week’s discussion. There are a lot of resources for teaching children, and a lot of media that is focused on education. I know that as a child I was exposed to a lot of interesting educational books and documentaries, but I can hardly remember them. We had large, beautiful books about dinosaurs that my great grandparents gave us, and my parents were very fond of science documentaries, but the only thing I remember from the books is coming up with stories in which the dinosaurs were characters, and the only documentary I really have any memory of is one about bees that gave me nightmares. While reading “Cathedral” I was amazed by the beautiful illustrations and the fascinating story, but I know that when I was younger, I wouldn’t have enjoyed the book at all. On the other hand, I have vivid memories of going to museums and the zoo, so there are some forms of educational children’s media that are exciting and interesting to the children.

Not much of what I learned from the educational media I was exposed to as a child stuck very well. But I do think it had an impact. My love for learning comes mostly from how much my parents and grandparents seemed to care about education.  And maybe that’s an important part of educational children’s media. Even if only one or two facts from a book or documentary stick, the children do get the idea that learning things is important. In “To Be and To Have” several of the children expressed desires to be teachers when they grew up. Most children want to emulate the adults they respect when they’re older. Exposing children to media that is educational surely has an impact on their willingness to learn and even to understanding of how important education is.

Week Two: The Jungle Book

This movie had some very interesting things to say about right and wrong. The journey of the story seemed to be about growing up and taking responsibility, but in the end the reason Mowgli goes to the man village is that there are girls there. I suppose one thing the movie seemed to portray that I don’t think we talked about in class last week was that there are perks to doing what you’re supposed to and consequences when you don’t.

In the “three little pigs” shorts we watched, the first two pigs didn’t prepare properly, and they were punished for it when the wolf came and blew down their houses. The third pig, however, was rewarded for his hard work with safety. In a lot of stories the reward is something that logically follows the task. If you outsmart the villain then you are rewarded with safety from the villain. However, the end of “The Jungle Book” seems to be implying that sometimes there are more rewards than just protection from harm.

Safety is definitely an issue in the movie. Mowgli refuses to listen to Baghira and runs off through the jungle on his own. He gets kidnapped by monkeys, hypnotized by a big snake, and hunted by a tiger. All of these things are frightening and dangerous, yet still the freedom of life in the jungle is more desirable to him than safety in a village.

It isn’t until they reach the village that Mowgli changes his mind. Throughout the story, it seems like Baghira is the voice of reason and responsibility—the adult voice—and Baloo is the voice of childhood and freedom.  Up until they reach the village, Mowgli is much more inclined to listen to Baloo. But when they reach the village, he sees a girl for the first time and seems to decide that there are some good things about growing up. So after that he listens to Baghira’s whispers to “go on” and ignores Baloo, who calls him to come back.

Teaching children about morality commonly involves portraying rewards and consequences. I think children often forget to consider the consequences before they do something wrong, or look forward to a reward for good behavior, so it’s beneficial for them to see consequences in the stories we tell them. At the same time, I don’t know if children really understand the morals of the stories until they’re older. I doubt Mowgli would have acted much differently in that last scene if he hadn’t had Baloo and Baghira telling him what to do. Going to the man village had to be his own decision. I remember the first time I realized that if you followed instructions, the adults would treat you better than they would if you disobeyed. I came to the conclusion on my own and it seemed like this brilliant, stunning revelation even though I’m sure someone had explained the concept to me previously.

Week 1: Son of Rambow

When I was in elementary school, my little brother and I liked to spend afternoons biking. We were supposed to stick to our block, and weren't allowed to cross the street, but one day we decided to break that rule and explore elsewhere. We got lost quickly and spent what seemed like hours finding our way home. I remember how relieved I was when I could finally see the house again, but I don’t think I ever regretted the adventure and I didn’t think about the potential danger involved until years later, when I was older. 

It’s hard to say what defines a child because throughout history, children have been treated many different ways and given many different levels of responsibility. There are some things though, reflected in stories for children from as far back as recorded history, that remain the same. Many of these stories focus on the joy in adventure, consequences of disregarding danger, and the need to come home.

The two main characters in “Son of Rambow” come from very different backgrounds. Will Proudfoot was raised as part of a strict religious sect that forbids watching television and listening to music. Lee Carter lives with his teenage brother while his mother is overseas. During the film, they’re working on an entry for a youth film-making competition. They have no adult support or supervision. Will’s mother disapproves of their friendship, and Lee’s older brother doesn’t pay attention to him, so the two boys are free to make the film on their own. Will especially seems to enjoy the production, despite the dangerous activities it involves. Even when Will falls out of a tree or nearly drowns, he’s enjoying himself. This need for adventure and disregard for danger is something I think all children share, and one thing that separates them from adults.

Adventure is desirable but it’s easy to lose control when you’re exploring new arenas, especially without the experience that comes with age. As time goes on, the production starts to get out of hand. Will, enjoying his newfound freedom a little too much, invites more and more people to be in the movie. Lee starts to feel left out, and eventually quits. Then, during the last scene they film, both of them are nearly killed. This makes me think of fairy tales and cautionary stories where children venture into the woods and get eaten by witches or wolves, or get into trouble. An example of this is “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in which Mickey Mouse plays with magic and ends up flooding the building he’s in.

However, in these stories there is often some form of redemption or rescue. In the end of “Son of Rambow,” Will’s mother decides to let him keep his new friends even when that means being excommunicated from their faith, and Lee’s brother starts to notice and actively care about Lee. Both characters come home in ways that strengthen their ties to their families. This kind of homecoming is one of the most satisfying ends to any child's adventure.