CHILDREN OF HEAVEN

This is what I wrote for my assignment. This writing shows how much I like the story. For more info on "Children of Heaven", click here.

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“Children of Heaven” is an Iranian film written and directed by Majid Majidi. The story deals with a brother and sister of a hardship family and their conflicts over a lost pair of shoes. It is a wonderful story that can touch the heart of its viewers and it has a meaningful scope of children’s life which adults need to ponder. There are three important questions that I can think about and able to answer based on the story.

For the first question, what is the main focus that Majid Majidi wanted to tell to the viewers throughout the story? Adults around us often said that it is lucky to be like children as they will not have any difficulties or worries that they need to think about. But Majid Majidi actually wants to tell the viewers, especially adult, that children’s life has no big differences with the adults’ life. If adults often think that they have big responsibilities which they need to fulfil for their work, family, and society, the children actually have the similar big responsibilities.

Majid Majidi has set an example of big responsibilities of the children through the life of the main character, Ali. Ali is the first child of the family who has big responsibilities for his family, education, and everything that comes around him. Based on the story, we can see that Ali lives in a hardship family. He needs to take care of the family when his father goes for working, as his mother has her own illness and she cannot do any house chores according to the advice of the doctor. Ali has his own tasks to buy groceries and supervise his sister to take care of their youngest sibling. He has a school to attend and the responsibility to perform well in his studies and discipline that he need to consider. He also has the responsibility to maintain the harmony of the family, as shown in the story that he tries to please her sister from telling the parents about the losing of her shoes. If the issue of losing shoes rises in the family, the father will be angry and beat his children and the mother’s sickness can be worsen. As for the most crucial part of the story, Ali has a great realization that he needs to be responsible of his mistake for losing his sister’s shoes. We can see that all responsibilities which come around Ali build his life’s development throughout the story.

For the second question, what is the role of adults in the story? The role of adults in the story is to give an enough trust, help, and support for the children. Adults often think that their roles towards children are determined by their sole relationship of parents towards the children or teacher towards students. Because of that kind of thinking, most parents think that they have done enough responsibility to just give their children to eat everyday, while the teachers just go to the school and teach students, and then punish them if they disobey without considering the truth behind the children’s behaviour. In fact, the story “Children of Heaven” actually wants to suggest that adults should play their roles towards the children as the individuals who provide helps and supports for the younger human beings who try to prove themselves worth and need a guidance to face the problems in this world.

There are four good examples for this suggestion. The first example occurs when Ali’s shoes worn by Zahra falls into the drain. When Zahra fails to get back the shoes from the drain, a middle age man comes to help her even he does not know Zahra and she does not ask for his help. The second example occurs when the Ali’s classroom teacher helps him from being punished by the discipline teacher. Ali’s classroom teacher sees him as a good and brilliant boy as he should not get a heavy punishment. The third example occurs when Ali and his father goes around rich people’s house in order to get a job for gardening. Ali’s father fails to interact in offering his job but after several failures, Ali helps his father to give the suitable words for the job offer. Ali’s father proud of him and praises him. The fourth example occurs when Ali wants to enter the long-endurance run contest. The sports teacher in-charge resists in accepting Ali’s request but as he sees Ali is very determined for it, he gives Ali the chance to enter the contest.

For the third question, what is the significant of the title “Children of Heaven”? The “children” is simply referring to Ali and Zahra, who are the main children shown in the story. The story revolves around those children’s life and conflicts that they faced in their everyday’s life. Meanwhile, “Heaven” is a symbol of praise from the creator of the story towards the children like Ali and Zahra. Heaven is the most wonderful place for the people who believe in the world after death. Heaven is created by God for the people who have well behaviour and done good deeds, along with their patient towards any obstacles that occurs around them in this challenging world. Ali has done many responsibilities and good deeds in his life, and it goes same with Zahra who managed to control her anger and sadness towards her losing shoes. Both of them also actually try their best to be well-mannered to their family, friends, teachers, and society. Thus, the creator of the story may think that both children are deserved to be in heaven as it is the highest reward that can be given to them for their endurance in facing the hardship life. That is why the title of the story is “Children of Heaven”.

“Children of Heaven” is a very good story for adults who need an understanding of children’s life. The content of the story is very effective in showing obstacles that children may face in their life. It can be a suitable medium to give advice to adults who has less consideration towards children.

Ali

Zahra