Who Is Theoo Faron In The Children Of Men

In the film, Children of Men, by Slovaj Zizek, we are introduced to a nation full of sorrow and destruction. Right in the first scene, the producer takes us to meet our main character, Theo Faron. Theo is introduced to us as a lonely man, that does not have a real purpose in life. A man who only passes the whole time at his work and careless of what is happening around him. He is a man that has been living with the ghost of his child’s death, which is why he mourns and feels culpable for. At the same time, he loses his child, he also loses his wife, and most importantly he loses himself. However, his life got a spark of hope, when he sees his ex-wife Julian for the first time in twenty years. For once in his life he feels happy and with a chance
of hope. Further in the film, he loses his wife, however, he finds out the truth, of why Julian wanted to get Kee to the human project. When Kee reveals her pregnancy to Theo, a new spark of hope and a new purpose awakens inside of him. In this film and through Theo’s character, we can see how a person’s way of living and choice of life, can be manipulated by humanity.
Theo the main character of the movie, was introduced to us as a lonely man, that didn’t have a real purpose in life.
Throughout the movie and in various occasions we see, Theo popping out a flask of whiskey from his coat or smoking a cigar. The flask of whiskey and the cigars are two symbols that symbolize depression and sorrow. We later learn through his best friend Jasper, the reason why Theo seems empty and lonely. Theo had been once a happy married man, with a wife and son. However, after his son’s death, his life perished, he got divorced and got stuck in a melancholic stage. His son’s death and his divorce made him see life differently. He felt as what Freud expresses, “profoundly painful dejection, cessation of interest in the outside world, loss of capacity to love, inhibition of all activity, and lowering of the self-regarding,” (Freud Pg. 244). The scene in Jaspers house, where Theo sees a picture of himself, his wife and baby Dylan, awakened the ghost of the past. By ghosts, I mean the ghost of his divorced and the loss of his baby. As Gordon states, “we are haunted by the past and past events.” In other words, our past its always present in our lives, we have a choice to move on or stay stuck in it. However, his life changed the very moment he was kidnapped by the Fishes. This is when the life of Theo makes a big
change.
After seeing his ex-wife Julian for the first time in twenty years, a spark of hope seems to awaken inside of Theo.
Something he thought he had forgotten for good, had once again awaken. By accepting to help his ex-wife, this behavior reveals to us that Theo lived longing for Julian’s love. In other words, all this time that Theo lived by himself he still longed for a reconciliation between him and his wife. In the movie Theo seems to have mixed feelings and he asks Julian, you seemed to be happy as if you have forgotten everything we have gone through. Julian replies to him that she had not forgotten anything but she had learned to live with it. In other words, she knew she had lost a part of her heart, however her losses made her strong and made her see life differently. Throughout their journey to the human project, we see how things between Theo and Julian begin to get well. Julian and Theo kissed, they laughed and they even played a game that they used to play. It seems as if hope had once again become part of their lives. It seems as if by seeing his wife, Theo’s lost soul went out of its mourning stage. However, Theo loses this hope when Julian gets shot and dies. Here is where many people can see themselves reflected in Theo’s shoes, because we all have one gone through a similar situation. Theo’s life again seems to be fallen in a profound suffrage. However, Julian leaves behind an unfinished mission that would bring hope and purpose to his
life.
Further in the movie, when Kee reveals her pregnancy to him, hope becomes part of him again. The wanting to keep Kee and her baby alive, makes him see life differently. He felt that by taking Kee and her baby safely to the human project, he will make up for what he did not do with for his wife and child. This is when Theo passes from the melancholic stage to the mourning stage, because he now realized the truth meaning Julian gave to his life and by saving Kee and baby Dylan two, it made up for the loss of his child. The life of Theo changes completely when he holds Kee’s baby for the first time. The crying of Kee’s baby gave hope and purpose to Theo’s life. Here is when he discovers that hope can be reawakened even in the most destructive and hopeless society. His life had a new purpose now, something to fight for and that it is why he manages to keep Kee and her daughter safe. Even in the times when he feels defeated, he stands strong and he manages to keep Kee and her daughter out of danger.
Theo it’s a man that at first seems lost in a deep depression and melancholic suffrage, however the pregnancy of a girl and the last encounter with his wife, brought a spark hope and chance for a new life, to his lost soul. In this story we can see how a single person can bring hope to someone, even in times of war, suffrage and despair.