The character Miss Huang in the second season of a popular Apple TV+ series illustrates the evolving concept of childhood in the context of work. Her statement about being a child due to her birth date prompts reflection on the historical perceptions of childhood. The article juxtaposes contemporary views of innocence in childhood against the historical backdrop discussed by French historian Philippe Ariès, who noted that past depictions of children often likened them to miniature adults, devoid of the unique characteristics that define modern childhood.
Miss Huang's deadpan response is more than just a clever quip. Like so much in the Apple TV+ series, which has broken viewership records for the streaming service, I think it reveals a devastating truth about the role of work in the 21st century.
What constitutes a "child" - and whether one gets to claim childhood at all - has always depended on when and where a person is born.
Americans are deeply invested in the idea of childhood as a time of innocence, with kids protected by doting adults from the harsh realities of work and making ends meet.
French historian Philippe Ariès famously argued that childhood, as many understand it today, simply did not exist in the past.
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