Conflict test what is truly important: paradise road assignment

The women, diverse in nationality, race and social status, against the will of their captors form the vocal orchestra. This decision sought to bring a sense of beauty and hope in the face of the squalor and deprivations given to them in the Japanese hell camps. It also exercised a freedom to choose beauty rather than despair in the face of the brutal constraints of the camp and the duress of their gaolers. Through “ just humming”, the vocal orchestra was essential in proving to the imprisoned women that during times of great stress and duress that they could rewrite their lives and escape into a world not bound by barbed wire and brutality.

Conflict offers the potential to test and prove one’s moral priorities; however some may stand steadfast by their beliefs and in turn become ignorant to the learning and realisations that conflict offers. While Paradise Road is ultimately about personal and collective triumph over adversity, the script never forgets that for everyone who has overcome seemly impossible obstacles there are many that have fallen along the way, never to rise again. By not forgetting these victims, Paradise Road instead stresses the consequences of isolation.