Resiliency of a Child

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 Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic demonstrates the strength and resiliency of children. Imagine living in a war zone, many of us would be overcome with fear and panic, but our main character Zlata handles war with ease. The novel is a personal journal used by Zlata to help cope with the war. The language used in the journal showcases her innocence and child-like thinking. When describing how hard it is to complete normal activities because there is no electricity, Zlata speaks in a child-like but sophisticated manner, "YES! YES! YES! THE ELECTRICITY IS BACK!!!!" (81). Despite her reality being disrupted, Zlata still has an optimistic adolescent spirit that pushes her forward in the war-torn country. 

Lacking basic necessities at times such as water and food did not negatively affect Zlata's spirit. Of course, we know there are moments where we see her vulnerability and need to be comforted by the adults around her. Seeing her friends move away, watching her mother cross a bridge while dodging gunshots, and having a bomb go off near her home are all traumatizing events for an eleven-year-old girl. We see the novel showcase how strong children are in times of uncertainty. 

We live in a country that has not fought a war on its own soil in years, but there are many teachable and relatable moments throughout this story. Children who deal with gang violence, domestic violence, and abuse can consider themselves living in a wartorn environment. When these students come into our classes, they are demonstrating their strength. Adolescent children experience so much, but many like Zlata are able to hold onto their childlike outlook on the world. 

Comments

  1. Mikayla TaylorNovember 10, 2020 at 4:13 PM

    I agree that children who encounter gang violence, domestic violence, and/or abuse can consider themselves in a war-torn environment, but I think that these experiences are not to the extent of war in which Zlata experienced. I do think, however, that our society can learn from Zlata's experiences and take notice of the strength that she exhibits.

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  2. Logan SandorNovember 11, 2020 at 12:55 PM

    I like how you point out how we haven't had a war on our turf in quite a while. Which makes it ever more apparent that we need to express these negative effects of war to our youth. Pushing for a more "let's talk this out with our mouths rather our weapons."

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