Introduction Children of Men is of the dystopian genre which means that it’s set in the future with the world going to complete hell. Dystopia is the idea of a society, generally of a speculative future, characterized by negative, anti-utopian elements, varying from environmental to political and social issues In Children of Men, biblical references make themselves shown by setting, plot, and characteristics of the main characters. Alfonso Cuaron uses many symbols in his film Children of Men. Some symbols used in the film are: his reference to the nativity story, parallels made between Theo and Jesus, the ship “Tomorrow”, the Fishes, Sid and the use of Picasso’s Guernica.

Theo and Kee Given the story of this film (a baby representing a new hope for humanity) there are not surprisingly many references to the story of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph from the Christian Bible. Theo (whose name is the Greek root meaning "God") first sees that Kee is pregnant in a barn, among farm animals, a reference to Jesus' birth in a manger. When Theo sees her pregnancy, he swears, "Jesus Christ!" Kee jokes that she is a virgin, a reference to the Christian belief that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after her pregnancy. Theo is seen washing or soaking his feet several times during the movie; there are several references to Jesus or saints washing their feet or having them washed in the Christian Bible, and foot washing is a ritual in some Christian denominations and in Islam. Theo Faron: Who's the father? Kee: Whiffet! I'm a virgin. Nah! Be great, though, wouldn't it? Fuck knows. I don't know half the wankers' names.

The Fishes The name of the 'Fishes' group is also a Christian reference. In fact, the 'fish' was one of the very first symbols in Christian art. British terrorists named Fishes protect the rights of refugees and have hopes to use Kee’s baby as a symbol of refugee rights. Fishes have historically been a symbol used to identify Christian followers; in Children of Men, the Fishes can be interpreted as making a point about the historic, distorted uses of violence that have come out of a strict adhesion to the Christly message. This distorted use of violence can be seen throughout the Middle East in recent times.

Sid and the use of Picasso’s Guernica Picasso’s Guernica contains many symbols. The shape and posture of the bodies express protest, the society Cuaron is exploring is full of bodies protesting with nothing to live for, refusing to be fertile and reproduce. The bull on the left can symbolize the brute force of fascism. The bull hovers over a woman holding the broken body of her child. In Children of Men, fascism is the force keeping Kee from revealing her pregnancy and is the reason Theo must help her.