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Utopian society essays
Utopian society essays
Utopian society essays
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A Critique of The Giver
The purpose of this book was to show us a possible version of a "Utopia".
It was a fantasy oriented book, that was suppose to make you think about the
possibilities for the future. The setting is a supposedly perfect society where
everyone is taken care of and no one is different. The author Lois Lowry does a
fine job portraying this supposedly "ideal" society.
This book began with a description of sameness and release the two
general principles the society functions on. It then continues while Jonas (the
main character) waits to receive his assignment in the community. Waiting to
find out what his assignment is, and what it entails doing are rises in action.
The climax is when the plan to escape the society is being conceived and the
actual escape itself. The falling action is when he is escaping from the search
planes and trying to keep himself and Gabriel alive. The ending is when he
feels triumph at the top of the hill and then sleds down it to his new family,
his first memory that belongs to him.
There were many characters in this book the main one being Jonas. Jonas is
a child in this supposed "Utopia" who ends up with the most important assignment
of all the "Receiver of Memory". The Receiver holds all the memories of the
whole community so the community does not have to be bothered with feelings and
the emotional baggage that comes with them. Jonas's trainer the "Giver" is a
old man who passes the memories on to Jonas and eventually thinks of the plan to
escape. The Giver also adopts Jonas and Rosemary as his own kids in a way. He
had a previous "Receiver" named Rosemary who applied for and received release.
Release is the term for death in this community. So when Rosemary was released
her memories went back to the community. Jonas and the Giver were talking about
this when the Giver got the idea of how to get Jonas away from the community and
get the community back its emotions and feelings. Gabriel was a another
influential character he was a baby staying with Jonas's family till he was
Jonas decides to leave and change the lives of his people so that they can experience the truth. “The Giver rubbed Jonas’s hunched shoulders… We’ll make a plan” (155). Their plan involves leaving sameness and heading to Elsewhere, where Jonas knows the memories can be released to the people. He has a connection with Gabe, a special child who has experienced the memories, unlike the rest of the community. Jonas has a strong love for Gabe, and he longs to give him a better life. “We’re almost there, Gabriel” (178). Even with a sprained ankle, Jonas keeps pushing forward because he wants everyone to experience what The Giver has given him. He wants them to have a life where the truth is exposed. His determination allows him to make a change for a greater future in his community. This proves that Jonas has the strength to change his community for the
As December approaches Jonas feels apprehensive because this year his group will be given their assignments (Lowry 9). He is chosen as the receiver of memory. While this position holds high honor it is also a painful load to hold. Jonas will hold all memories of the past. Receiving memories is not like watching a movie, as Jonas soon expe...
Evelyn Sanchez (esanchez47@student.cccd.edu) Professor Leighton English 143, Final Essay 21 May 21, 2014 What the heck happened to Jonas? Topic #2. The Giver is actually one of my all-time favorite books, so I’ve looked into why she left the book so inconclusive in the past. The Giver is basically about a boy named Jonas who lives in a perfect society. He lives in a household with his two parents and his little sister Lilly.
...under the strain of loss and pain, of losing his daughter, was unable to help his community in dealing with all the memories. However during the time when Jonas was training with him, they both come to the conclusion that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages of their elders choosing to go to sameness. The day that Jonas learns what release is he refuses to go back home. The Giver reminds him that things were once different, long, long, ago. The Giver himself had been hopeless over the possibility of change, yet being with Jonas for almost a year had caused him to reached the decision that things must somehow change. And Jonas several hours ago inadvertent had shown him a way how. My point is that The Giver several times states that there is still hope for change in the community, and in the end Jonas escaping was a symbol of hope just like Noah’s dove.
Jonas said “I gave him memories along the way to let him survive, but he’s cold.” The giver had started to give Jonas and Gabe memories to keep them warm and alive. Jonas felt the memory of him sitting next to a campfire and it was as hot as a hot bathing room in the house of the old. Jonas had remembered about his friends Fiona and Asher and asked the giver. “Where is Fiona and Asher.”
Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S.M. (2010). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Scriven, M. & Paul, R. 1987, ‘A Working Definition of critical thinking’, The Critical Thinking Community. Retrieved 18 May from
We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others” (97). In the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, no one has seen a rainbow after a storm, no one knew what colors were; what choosing was; what it meant to be an individual. Everyone lived in complete Sameness, and never learned what it meant to be an individual. By eliminating as much self expression as possible in Sameness and society, Jonas's community has rejected the individuality of a society where people are free to move society forward. In The Giver individuality is represented by colors, memories, and pale eyes.
Critical thinking is recognized by accrediting bodies as an outcome for graduates of bachelor and master’s level programs, but no consensus exits on its definition and measurements (Ali, Bantz, & Siktberg, 2005, p. 90). Some critical thinking “descriptors are: confidence, contextual perspective, flexibility, inquisitiveness, intellectual integrity, intuition, open-mindedness, perseverance, and reflection. In addition, individuals who think critically have the ability to use the cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, seeking information, reasoning logically, and transforming knowledge (Scheffer & Rubenfeld, 2000) (Ali, Bantz, & Siktberg, 2005, p. 90).
Critical thinking can be defined as "learning to think better by improving one 's thinking skills." Individuals who are critical thinkers use the thinking process to analyze (consider and reflect) and synthesize (piece together) what they have learned or are currently learning. Unfortunately, much
Critical thinking means accurate thinking in the search of appropriate and dependable knowledge about the world. Another way to describe it is sensible, insightful, responsible, and skillful thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. Critical thinking is not being able to process information well enough to know to stop for red lights or whether you established the right change at the supermarket.
Critical thinking is a very important skill to have. It gives a helping hand in prevent people from making bad decision. It also helps them solve their problems. It permits us to consider consequences in systematic and rational ways.
Critical thinking is a process used when reflecting and judging ideas and efforts, whether they be our own or others. Critical thinkers generally think outside the given and beyond the obvious in order to look deeper into thoughts and ideas in an effort to better analyze and understand them. Critical thinkers are logical in thought, while at the same time utilize the ability to make strong conclusions. Critical thinking involves examining possibilities carefully, fairly, and constructively—focusing your thoughts and actions by organizing and analyzing possibilities, refining and developing the most promising possibilities, ranking or prioritizing options, and choosing certain options (Treffinger, 2008). Critical thinkers assess, classify, interpret, identify and categorize during their thought process.
According to Robert Ennis, critical thinking is “reflective reasoning about beliefs and actions. Critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do.”