Abstract

The representation of children in Iranian cinema has long attracted scholarly attention because of its close relationship with social values, cultural identity, and the construction of moral narratives. Previous studies have primarily examined children either as symbolic cultural figures, educational agents, or narrative functions within cinematic texts. Although these approaches have significantly enhanced the understanding of childhood representation, they have rarely explained how a child protagonist is structurally designed as a dramatic character whose internal transformation drives the narrative. Likewise, while Robert McKee's theory of character design has become one of the most influential frameworks in contemporary screenwriting studies, its systematic application to Iranian children's cinema remains largely unexplored. Consequently, an important theoretical gap exists between structural screenwriting theory and culturally grounded analyses of Iranian child-centered films. This study addresses that gap by integrating McKee's principles of character construction with complementary theories of identity development, heroic transformation, and multidimensional identity in order to formulate an indigenous analytical model for understanding the child protagonist within the cultural and historical context of Iranian cinema. Rather than approaching the child as a passive narrative object or an ideological symbol, the study conceptualizes the child as the dramatic protagonist whose choices, conflicts, and ethical development constitute the driving force of the narrative.

Accordingly, the principal objective of this research is to formulate and explain a culturally grounded model of child-protagonist characterization in Iranian cinema through the systematic application of McKee's character design theory alongside complementary perspectives proposed by Christopher Vogler, Erik Erikson, Andrew Horton, and Jean S. Phinney. More specifically, the research seeks to identify the structural relationship between the protagonist's external desire, internal need, crisis-driven choices, and character arc; to investigate the influence of cultural and social contexts on children's motivations and dramatic development; to examine the historical evolution of child protagonists in Iranian cinema from the 1980s to the 2010s; and finally, to extract new conceptual dimensions emerging directly from empirical analysis that extend existing theoretical frameworks.

To accomplish these objectives, three main research questions guided the investigation. First, how are the external desire, internal need, crisis-driven choice, and character arc of child protagonists constructed in selected Iranian screenplays according to McKee's theory? Second, how do Iranian cultural, historical, and social contexts shape the dramatic construction and ethical development of child protagonists? Third, what indigenous conceptual model can be developed from comparative analysis of these screenplays to explain the distinctive characteristics of Iranian child-protagonist characterization?

The present study is fundamental in purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature, employing a qualitative research design based on Directed Qualitative Content Analysis as proposed by Hsieh and Shannon. The predetermined coding framework was developed from McKee's theory of character design and supplemented by concepts drawn from complementary theoretical perspectives. Six analytical categories constituted the primary coding structure: external desire, internal need, choice under pressure, character arc, agency, and cultural indicators. These predefined categories were subsequently enriched through inductive coding in order to identify emerging themes that were not fully explained by the initial theoretical framework.

Data were collected using documentary and library research methods. The statistical population consisted of Iranian child-centered screenplays produced between 1981 and 2021 in which a child functions as the dramatic protagonist. Following purposeful and convergent sampling, eight prominent screenplays satisfying the predefined selection criteria were initially identified. From these, three representative works were selected for in-depth comparative analysis: The Runner (1984), Children of Heaven (1997), and The Lonely, Lonely, Lonely (2012). These works represent three distinct socio-historical periods and collectively provide a developmental trajectory of child characterization across four decades of Iranian cinema.

The analytical procedure consisted of three successive stages. First, deductive coding was performed using the six predefined analytical categories. Second, dialogue, dramatic actions, and scene descriptions associated with each category were systematically extracted and recorded. Third, comparative interpretation was conducted across the three screenplays to identify recurring structural patterns and culturally specific mechanisms underlying character development. During the inductive phase of analysis, continuous comparison revealed three recurring conceptual dimensions that could not be adequately explained through McKee's original framework alone. These emerging categories eventually formed the foundation of the proposed indigenous model developed in this research.

The comparative analysis demonstrates that McKee's concepts provide an effective framework for explaining the structural development of child protagonists in Iranian cinema when interpreted within their cultural context. Across the three screenplays, a clear distinction emerges between external desire and internal need. External desires are concrete and plot-oriented, whereas internal needs concern identity, dignity, responsibility, and ethical growth. This confirms McKee's proposition that authentic character transformation results from the interaction between conscious goals and hidden psychological needs.

In The Runner, Amiro's pursuit of survival and literacy ultimately reflects a deeper need to overcome inferiority and achieve self-awareness. His climactic moral choice emphasizes solidarity over personal gain, completing a positive ethical character arc. Likewise, in Children of Heaven, Ali's effort to replace his sister's shoes gradually reveals a deeper commitment to family dignity and responsibility. Although he fails to obtain the expected reward, his acceptance of disappointment becomes a moral victory. In The Lonely, Lonely, Lonely, Ranjro seeks dialogue and peaceful mediation while affirming children's agency within the adult world. Rather than undergoing substantial personal change, his actions transform those around him, illustrating a socially transformative character arc.

The findings further indicate that cultural and social contexts actively shape children's motivations and dramatic choices. War, poverty, family, education, local identity, and intercultural interaction function as formative forces rather than passive settings. Despite historical differences among the selected films, shared values including dignity, empathy, responsibility, family commitment, and hope remain central to character development.

Historical comparison reveals a gradual evolution of the Iranian child protagonist from a survivor in the 1980s, to an ethically responsible family member in the 1990s, and finally to a socially engaged and symbolically active child in the 2010s. Accordingly, children's agency expands from individual survival to broader social participation.

The principal theoretical contribution of this study is the development of an indigenous model comprising three interconnected dimensions: Faramoun (Transcendence), describing movement beyond material and social limitations toward ethical agency; Self-awareness, referring to moral recognition achieved through crisis-driven choices; and Multiple Selves, representing the simultaneous activation of personal, familial, social, national, and human identities. These concepts extend McKee's framework by incorporating culturally grounded dimensions that emerged inductively from the data.

The study therefore establishes a bridge between structural screenwriting theory and the cultural realities of Iranian cinema while providing a practical analytical framework for researchers, screenwriters, and educators. Although the analysis focuses on three representative screenplays, future studies may examine additional films, female child protagonists, animation, and television productions to further validate and expand the proposed model. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the Iranian child protagonist evolves from limitation to self-awareness and ultimately toward multidimensional identity, offering a culturally grounded framework for future interdisciplinary studies of children's cinema.

Keywords: Character Design; Child Character; Characterization; Iranian Screenplay; Robert McKee

*This article is derived from the first author's Master's thesis entitled "Analysis and Study of Child Characterization in Iranian Screenplays from the 1980s to 2020s; Focusing on Robert McKee's Character Design Principles," which was submitted to Tarbiat Modares University under the supervision of the second author and the advisorship of the third author.