The Button

“The Button” by Mahdokht Kshkuli is a sad story about a poor Iranian family, who must make the difficult decision of sending their son, Reza, away to an orphanage. Reza’s family needs “one less mouth to feed” because they do not have the means to support so many children. Reza’s father owns a barbershop that does not generate enough income for the whole family. Also, his father says that Reza is the most misbehaved of his children and by sending him to an orphanage they might help with his behavior. On the other hand, the father must make a decision between failing one child as a parent or making life better for the rest of the family. Despite the fact, he justifies it would be the best thing for his son and tries to be affectionate with Reza to convince him that he is doing what is best for him.

Reza’s family is living in poverty and without the proper means to feed their children. Pauperization in families brings tough and dramatic decisions. Therefore, the mother is giving the power of decision to her husband to move one of their kids to an orphanage. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything. Just do

Reza's father does not know what to do, but he knows that it is getting more complicated to collect the money for the rent on time. “The landlord’s son says, Is the rent ready? My father answers, give me a few more days. Tell Haji Agha I’ll pay before the due date” (Kashkuli). The father chooses Reza as a viable candidate for such a place, recognizing him as naughtiest and restless of all their kids. “I remained frozen, holding my breath for a few minutes; then I heard my father say, Reza is the naughtiest of all; the most restless. Akbar and Asghar are more tame, and we can’t send the girls away. It’s not wise” (Kashkuli). Reza’s father thinks he is making the best decision by sending his son to the orphanage because “at least one of his children will have a chance to live a good life”