What is childhood? According to science, childhood is “the stage before puberty” or, to be more specific, “the state of a child between infancy and adulthood.” But childhood is so much more than a concrete reality defined by literal terms. It is an abstract concept. If, right now, I say that I have never ever ever had a Tamagotchi or played Mario Brothers – now, I know that you’re all thinking, “Wow, that girl has no childhood!” And that time when you found out that Piglet is male and Tweety Bird is male and Blue is female, you think, “My whole childhood was a lie.” Get it? CHILDHOOD. Childhood is not just some dictionary term for us. It is an important part of our lives. It’s that time of magic, wonder, and imagination – that time when everything felt just about right.
And that is why I’ll be discussing childhood today, with the aid of a popular Dreamworks animated film called ‘Rise of the Guardians.’ ‘Rise of the Guardians’ showcases five magical and imaginary beings, namely, Nicholas St. North (or Santa Claus), E. Aster Bunnymund (or the Easter Bunny), Sandman, Toothiana (or the Tooth Fairy), and last but not the least, Jack Frost. They are called “guardians,” and their role is to make children -- like this boy named Jamie – happy, and to protect them from Pitch Black (or the Bogeyman), who is basically the embodiment of fear.
I have this theory that all five guardians from the movie represent a certain part of childhood – of being a child in the figurative sense. Sandman stands for comfort. He’s that pillow you cry into when you’ve had a bad day, that teddy bear who guards you from the bad dreams and the monsters at night. Toothiana stands for love and care. She’s the mommy who packs your lunch and the daddy who kisses you good night. Easter Bunny stands for hope. He’s the feeling of hoping that your mom will bring home pizza, or hoping of getting a puppy for your birthday. Mr. North stands