childhood that is characterized by seemingly innate creativity, fearlessness (whether with physical feats or technology), innocent mischief, and “rugged individualism”—one that is in close communion with the natural world but utterly out of sync with the adult world.39 This imaginary seems so natural to many, especially in the United States, that it is often assumed to be timeless and universal; it has been a constant refrain in English and American media for more than 150 years, evinced by the perennial resonance and many variations of characters such as Huckleberry Finn and Peter Pan.
