Dictatorship In The Giver

783 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The giver analysis

Have you ever thought about how some fictional books might have connections to real life historical totalitarian dictatorships? Now that seems a little odd to read about, but there are many works of fictional literature that depict these oppressing governments. An example of this would be The Giver by Lois Lowry. She sets up a futuristic community that is ruled by an oppressive government. The people in this community do not even realize how deprived they are. They have known nothing else but this community and this lifestyle. Her community is very similar to another real society in human history. The dictatorship of Stalin over the USSR was also an overpowering government that controlled the people’s lives. There are many similarities between …show more content…

In both societies, the government took away the people's choices and they used propaganda in order to control the inhabitant’s lives. In The Giver it says, “It’s just the pills. You’re ready for the pills, that’s all. That’s the treatment for the Stirrings. (Lowry 37)” The “Stirrings” mentioned are what Lowry’s community called love or lust. To control these raging and passionate feelings, the government forces each person to take pills that squander these pleasures. But it is not only love that the medication stops, but also feelings in general. Nobody makes their own choices because of the pills, and nobody knows what it means to make important choices either. Also, if anyone disobeyed they would be admonished or even killed depending on the severity of the transgression. Stalin’s industrial empire also took away some choices. An example of this would be when Stalin enforced a law saying that the government would take over all the agricultural jobs in the country. In doing so, he took away the choice of being a farmer or any other profession similar to that. Also, the people that were already farmers indignantly refused to work if he controlled their farms. This meant that the country didn’t produce any crops or horticultural products. This lead to a devastating man made famine! The grim output of the famine left the

Show More
Related

  • The Giver: An Example Of A Dystopian Society

    376 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Giver was an example of a dystopian society. In this community citizen doesn`t had any freedom. It had a lots of information about why it was dystopian, but today I will talk about few thing. First reason was the natural world was banished and distrusted. Second was information, independent thought, and freedom were restricted. The last was they had fear of the out side world.

    Read More

  • The Giver A Dystopian Analysis

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    What determines a society to be either a utopia or a dystopia? Would it be everyone following the rules? In the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry, a new “Utopian” culture blossoms from the previously failed society. The Giver’s nation starts out with the intention of creating a utopian society; however, the strict limitations turn it into a dystopia where there are receivers, like Jonas, that hold the good and bad memories from the past culture. Jonas will experience great pain and great joy through his job as the Receiver instead of the whole community sharing the burden. The Giver’s world is a dystopia because of the following three reasons: they kill people that disobey the rules, they do not get to pick their own jobs, and, above all, they beat children if they do not use precise language.

    Read More

  • The Giver and The Hunger Games: Novels that Exemplify a Totalitarian System

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    The following section wil analyse how the totalitarian systems in the novels are constructed and list the important aspects they consist of. Due to word-limitations the concentration is put only on the main aspects: The head of the system, laws and punishments and the concept that the systems are constructed up on.

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf And Orwell's

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Out of the smoke and coal came fear as well, fear of the unknown. What was this bright thing called electricity and what could it do? Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel Frankenstein showed this fear. Through this single book many concerns were addressed. This made sense, people fear things they don’t know and this was a time of confusion just as it was a time of advancements. This deep rooted fear was the cause of Frankenstein. Another fear arose as individuals gained more power and monopolized more influence over people, dictatorship. George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, understood this fear well and went in depth on the idea of this suppression of the people. The book introduces what it might be like to live in a society that contains and suppresses its population. These two books were written during a time of great change, and when change is sudden it’s hard to handle. This is obviously shown in these books. The current dreams and imagination of the people at the time is reflected in these two works proving people continued to look to themselves as the source of their literature from Old English even to the

    Read More

  • Tyrant In Brave New World

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    “In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.” A quote by Eugene V Debs in his speech in Canton, Ohio, on June 16, 1918. Enter dystopia. In a universe already tarnished by future time and changing, pessimistic ideals or unconventional social standards, tyrants have the tendency to act as the main antagonist who enforce the moral laws of their worlds upon the innocent. And in George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, the authors explore the ideas of dystopic tyrants though antagonists O’Brien and Mustapha Mond, who portray their ability to control through their individual societies’ extreme ideals

    Read More

  • Utopian Society In The Giver

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Living in a perfect world is like living in an anthill. An ant does not think on it’s own, make it’s own decisions, and doesn't really have any own identity, just like the utopians. It is not worth living in a perfect world. The utopian society we are introduced to in the book, The Giver, has many different characteristics that make the perfect life unbearable. Examples of these things are The Receiver, the community, and the chief elders.

    Read More

  • Essay On Conformity In The Giver

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lois Lowry describes a futuristic world with controlled climate, emotions, way of living and eliminates suffering in her book The Giver. The main character, Jonas, shows the reader what his world is like by explaining a very different world from what society knows today. Everything is controlled, and no one makes choices for themselves or knows of bad and hurtful memories. There is no color, and everything is dull. As he becomes the Receiver who has to know all the memories and pass them down to the next Receiver, he realizes his world needs change. He starts to believe that a world of sameness where no one can decide or make choices for themselves is boring. Lois Lowry is warning readers that living in a world of sameness is not something to create as it is boring and dull, but if the world follows conformity and does not value diversity and difference enough, society could become that of Jonas’s.

    Read More

  • Brainwashing of Constituents in George Orwell's "1984"

    3231 Words  | 7 Pages

    These examples display the inevitable fact that all over the world subtle but significant events are taking place that appear to signify a shifting toward a totalitarian government, much like the one present in 1984. This is extremely disturbing because most people will agree that the life lived by the characters in 1984, is not one of any value. Though they are “protected” from several of the problems that many of the free world citizens and officials face, they have no control over their thoughts or actions. This leads to unbearable uniformity. It is chilling to know that though George Orwell’s book was written as fiction, portions of it are becoming factual.

    Read More

  • Essay on Loss of Freedom in The Giver

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    Loss of Freedom in The Giver    The Giver, a book written by Lois Lowry, questioned my ideas, thoughts and beliefs.  The novel describes an ideal society, in which everything is supposed to be perfect, with all life’s problems solved.  It is all about being happy with what the people have and not questioning their lifestyles because they did not know the difference between good and bad.  The people are denied of their preferable way of life without their knowledge of how the real world is supposed to be.  In the I can.  However, the citizens of this society are not able to control their life; for example their choice of clothing, choice of loving and having feelings, or choice of family members.          From all existing creatures, we humans differ because we are able to use our brain to make decisions.  In the novel, the people of the given society have authority figures that show them how to live their life.  “Katya, became a Nine and removed her hair ribbons and got her bicycle” (P  The rules start with small things like what age one starts to ride a bike, which age group wears certain types of jackets, the clothing one wears each day, and even what to eat.  In the real world, we humans make similar decisions for ourselves without thinking about it.  People need guidance in their life to the right way of living but not a book of instructions.          Many of us live each day dreaming of our future family and all the happiness we may get from that.  I cannot imagine how it feels not to have freedom to feel and love.  “Jonas, she said with a smile, the feeling you described as wanting?  It was your the opposite sex.  Beginning from early age, children are controlled not to feel or appreciate his/her opposite sex.  The adults are made to take the pills to annihilate their sexual desires.  When the children grow up and become adults, more decisions are made for them.  When one is old enough to get married, the superior power chooses a mate for the person and is wedded.  This is when I question the meaning of marriage. a future together, not a partnership that you deal with like a business. Although many cultures have different say in this sacred ceremony, most have similar ideas.  To many people, love is affection based on admiration or common interests and warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion.  How can one live happy in life without the experience of such feelings?  These individuals in the novel did not know better, if they knew how good it is to feel love or even know a good taste when it is good, then they would not be happy with the way of life in their community.  “J What if they were allowed to choose their own mate?

    Read More

  • Individuals During Stalin's Regime

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    During Stalin’s regime, the individual Russian was the center of his grand plan for better or worse. Stalin wanted all of his people to be treated the same. In the factory the top producer and the worst producer made the same pay. He wanted everyone to be treated as equals. His goal to bring the Soviet Union into the industrial age put tremendous pressure on his people. Through violence and oppression Stalin tried to maintain an absurd vision that he saw for the Soviet Union. Even as individuals were looked at as being equals, they also were viewed as equals in other ways. There was no one who could be exempt when the system wanted someone imprisoned, killed, or vanished. From the poorest of the poor, to the riches of the rich, everyone was at the mercy of the regime. Millions of individuals had fake trumped up charges brought upon them, either by the government or by others who had called them o...

    Read More

  • Stalin DBQ

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    Around the early 1920’s, Stalin took power and became leader of Russia. As a result Russians either became fond of Stalin’s policies or absolutely despised them. Stalin’s five-year plans lured many into focusing on the thriving economy rather than the fact that the five year plan hurt the military. The experience of many lives lost, forced labor camps, little supply of food, influenced the Russians negative opinion about Stalin. Having different classes in society, many Russians had different points of views. For the Peasants, times were rough mainly because of the famine, so they were not in favor of Stalin and his policies; where as the upper classes had a more optimistic view of everything that was occurring. Stalin’s policies affected the Russian people and the Soviet Union positively and also had a negative affect causing famine for the Russian people.

    Read More

  • Joseph Stalin Research Paper

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a dictator Stalin was very strict about his policies, especially working. For instance. Stalin had set quotas very high , as they were very unrealistic. The workers had very long days, and under the rule of Stalin most people worked many hours in overtime, and resulting in no pay. Stalin treated workers very, very harshly. Those who did not work were exiled to Siberia or killed. Some may say you got what you deserved in Stalin’s time. Those who worked very hard for Stalin sometimes got bonuses such as trips, or goods likes televisions and refrigerators. The workers had to conform to Stalin’s policies . Stalin’s harsh treatment of workers received a very unwelcoming response, but in fact the liberal amount of goods that the workers had made, had in fact

    Read More

  • Government Oppression In The Hunger Games And The Giver

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    The movie The Hunger Games (based on the novel by Suzanne Collins) and The Giver, a novel by Lois Lowry, both display governments that enforce strict rules in order to limit the freedom of their citizens. Both of these novels are centered on dystopian societies in which the government removes the freedom of choice and individuality in order to establish oppressive control over its citizens. Katniss and Jonas are the exception when it comes to the citizens of both “communities” and how they are overly controlled while being unaware of their loss of freedom. Both characters selflessly put themselves in danger in order to save their younger siblings, or adopted sibling in Jonas’s case, from the oppressive government. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister in the fight to the death, while Jonas takes responsibility of a young child by removing him from the corrupt and enclosed community in which they live. Both Katniss and Jonas challenge the oppressive rules in their communities by being brave and selfless.

    Read More

  • Vladimir Lenin's New Economic Policy During The Bolshevik Revolution

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stalin took control over the farms and factories trying to “reorganize” the economy. However, it led to less production resulting in famine. Unrealistic quotas were set (Adams 5). He used collectivization, a policy of forced consolidation of individual peasant households onto collective farms. The use of collectivization led to many farmers death due to them protesting. Stalin’s overall goal for Soviet Union was to create an industrial power with all production under government control. Agriculture was bought under government control and forced peasants to live on group farms. The standards of living were poor during his rule (“Stalin’s Economic Policies” 1).

    Read More

  • George Orwell's 1984: Unmasking Totalitarianism

    1733 Words  | 4 Pages

    The outlook to the future is usually one filled with hope. When failures of the past and present problems collide together, the future is often seen as a place of hope. This mindset was no different in Britain during the mid 20th century, especially in the late 1940’s. World War II had finally ended, the days of fighting Nazi Germany was behind everyone but present circumstances were bleak. Britain was still recovering from the effects of World War II and handling the transition of a new socialist democratic government. From the east there loomed Stalin’s Soviet Union with its communism government and Totalitarian ruling mindset. Many were oblivious to the facts surrounding communism and looked hopefully to it. The reason for this was as Mitzi Brunsdale states because of “all kinds of personal and social inadequacies” (139). Many in the west were discouraged with present conditions and looked to Stalinism for hope. Many of the “Western support for Stalin often took the form of neo-religious adulation” (Brunsdale139). On the other hand, George Orwell stood in direct opposition. This resistance against the Totalitarian rule of Stalin was especially expressed in one of his most popular books called 1984, which “brings home to England the experience of countless who suffered in Totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe” (Meyers 114). George Orwell through his life experiences and through the accounts of others had seen the dangers of Totalitarianism. In 1984, George Orwell exposed three dangerous aspects of Totalitarianism by showing the oppression of the individual's in the story in order to show the true nature of Totalitarianism.

    Read More

More about Dictatorship In The Giver

Open Document