Madeline: Childhood Reflection Assignment

“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines... the smallest one was Madeline.” As a child I watched the movie Madeline religiously, whenever I heard those words I would get into the mindset that I was one of the twelve girls living in the boarding school together. I wanted to be with them as they brushed their teeth in unison, and when they all slept in the same room whispering in the night, and I wanted to wear the same blue cloak and hat tied with red ribbon as the twelve little girls living in Paris. Madeline was the fearless, outspoken one that I had always aspired to be like; because she was the opposite of me as a child, I was very shy. This movie made me realize how important it is to stick together with your friends for something you’re passionate about, just as these girls did to save their beloved boarding school.

Madeline and her 11 friends lived at a school run by Miss Clavel in an old house in Paris. The future of the school was in jeopardy when its domineering owner, Lord Covington, decided to sell it. But with the help of the devilish son of the Spanish Ambassador who lived next door, the resourceful Madeline hatched a plot to save their adored home. But along the way the children encountered some adventures including being saved by the dog Genevieve in the Seine River, kidnappers on a visit to the circus, and eventually saving the boarding school as they all had so dearly wished. Madeline never lost hope when trying to save her home; she was never less than bold and confident, and would do anything to stay with her friends that she saw as her sisters.

Looking back at this movie now I can see why it was so special to me. These girls had such a special bond, and loved each other very much. They made me see what it like is to be a true friend, that being shy wasn’t the way to get something you truly want. I looked up to Madeline because she wasn’t afraid of anything, as I was afraid of so much as a child. She taught me to not be shy or scared and to go after what I desired no matter what, and I still live by that today. In the famous words of Madeline “That’s all there is—there isn’t anymore.”