Ralph is not a rule-follower like Lisa, nor a rule-breaker like Bart; Ralph does not observe the rules because he is almost completely unaware of them. More than any of the other students at Springfield Elementary, Ralph is a child. Bart and Lisa and Milhouse and Nelson and Janey are kids, and therein lies the difference.
“Child” versus “kid.”
Wow. I’d never really thought about that distinction before, so, when I read this today, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
My daughter is mostly still a child—not quite a kid—and a lot of stuff makes more sense if I keep that in mind.
(via merlin)
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