The movie The Greatest Showman is a musical tale set in 19th Century, New York. The main characters, Barnum and Charity, belonged to two different social classes. They became friends but Charity’s family does not approve of their relationship (Gracey et al., 2019). She is taken far from home while Barnum stays back helping his father with the cloth business. After Barnum’s father died, he is left languishing in poverty without a roof over his head. Years later Barnum marries Charity and together they start a family. Barnum struggles with his job that does not pay much but he still holds on to the dream of providing a better life for his wife and children. After losing the job, he starts his own theatre business by bringing together the town’s “misfits”. The business thrives and he can provide for his family. However, his aspirations continue to grow and at some point, he loses himself in his ventures. The main themes portrayed in the movie are love, acceptance, and diversity.
In the movie, Charity and Barnum are first introduced to the audience while in their middle childhood development stage. This stage is characterized by children from age eight to twelve years (Jewell et al., 2019). By this age, a child should be able to grasp the notion of time and money. They should also be able to interact socially with other children and adults. In the movie, Barnum is seen helping his father in trade. Charity, on the other hand, is being taught how ladies ought to behave and carry themselves in society. As the movie progresses, they turn into adolescents and then adults.
The main character, Barnum, is a poor young man struggling to be accepted. Charity’s parents did not approve of their friendship and they often hid to have fun. After his father’s death, he was left alone and at this point, he is often hungry, lonely, and depressed. He had to do whatever it took to get food and a place to sleep. There is a scene where he steals bread and is chased by the vendor. Barnum never abandoned his dream of finding his destiny or writing to his childhood friend who later becomes the love of his life. Barnum and Charity’s children are portrayed as loving and caring. They are socially active and sharp and take part in decision-making in the family. They also have a great relationship with their parents and other people they associate with.
The theory from the lesson material that best relates to the movie is Jean Piaget’s cognitive development. According to the theory, the experiences that children go through are their basis for learning. For instance, learning occurs through assimilation and accommodation and this forms the long-term development change. Piaget classified development into stages that are differentiated by age. The characters in the movie are categorized according to the concrete operational stage. This is where children acquire skills and learn how to apply them in their daily operations. As the movie starts, Charity and Barnum are learning different life skills. However, Barnum’s resilience is what propelled him to follow his destiny.
In conclusion, the movie The Greatest Showman follows the life of a young boy from his childhood into adulthood and how the challenges he faced influenced him in adulthood. An understanding of childhood development gives parents, teachers, and caregivers the necessary knowledge, understanding, and tools in dealing with children of any age. Jean Piaget’s theory comes in at this point to give a clear overview of the different developmental stages that characters such as Charity went through.
References
Gracey, M., Bicks, J., Condon, B., & Mark, L. (2017). The greatest showman. Twentieth Century Fox. Web.
Jewell, T., Gardner, T., Susi, K., Watchorn, K., Coopey, E., Simic, M., & Eisler, I. (2019). Attachment measures in middle childhood and adolescence: A systematic review of measurement properties. Clinical Psychology Review, 68, 71-82. Web.