Childhood is arguably the most important part of your life, for many reasons.
The first, (and most factual reason), is the physical development that occurs from when a baby is born to when the baby is about three years old. The baby's body changes almost daily, with the baby's core and muscles developing, the motor skills that start to come along, and the extensive cognitive and sensory development that occurs. The baby/child becomes aware of the huge world around them!
(More about early childhood development: http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/ss/early-childhood-development_4.htm)
The second reason childhood is so important is the vast imagination that children possess at young ages. The games that they play with themselves, friends or siblings are complex, and extremely creative. Give a young girl some blocks, little animal toys and dolls and their playroom becomes a huge zoo or beauty parlor in a quaint town. Give a couple small boys some sticks and they will have epic battles for their kingdoms all day, or maybe become jedi knights.
Marjane, (from Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi) is no different. She and her friends pretended to be revlutionaries such as Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Trotsky, and demonstrated in front of their houses. Marji, (Marjane), like other childen, loves the idea of a war hero, and when she didn't have her own in the family, she would make up fantastic definant prison stories about her father, and her friends would look to her with awe. She invested herself into the tales of her grandfather and uncle, and listened as carefully as anyone could, and of course, bragged to all of her friends.
I think once a child can fully understand and internalize serious issues on a more adult level, they are no longer a 'child', but at the same time, I don't feel like a person becomes a full adult until they leave their family and gain independence. Marji became more grown up throughout the book as she understood more and more about the horrible things that happened during the revolution, and her sense of innocence was diminished. She grew up, but I still don't consider her to be a full adult because even though she left her country and parents, she still has to rely on another family in Australia.
