Lois Lowry's The Giver Should Not be Censored
analytical Essay
1121 words
Lois Lowry's The Giver Should Not be Censored
Parents in modern society routinely attempt to shield their children from what they view as evils of the world. Adults censor television they watch, conversations they have, and books they read. In so doing, parents feel that they are guarding their children from knowledge that they may not be emotionally capable of handling. However, it also is imperative in the highly competitive atmosphere of modern society for youth to become prepared for the pressures of adulthood. Ironically, the dangerous knowledge parents believe they are hiding from their children inevitably is learned through exposure. In the domain of literature, a parent may feel that a particular book attracts attention to inappropriate or taboo issues, neglecting the positive aspects of that same work. This is the situation that has developed with Lois Lowry's The Giver, a book opposed by parents across the nation. Throughout the novel, despite challenges that have emerged based in her use of euphemistic expressions for euthanasia within a utopian society, the author nonetheless demonstrates the importance of experiential learning and the valuable lessons to be learned by working through the negative aspects of life.
Parents have raised protest against The Giver because it references euthanasia; a concept many believe corrupts youthful readers' minds and values. Indeed, the author initially does minimize the significance of mercy killing by euphemistically denoting it as, "release" (139). However, when Jonas learns the true definition of this term, he grows determined to awaken the community to what it is condoning. He realizes that the process of release is a "feeling of terri...
... middle of paper ...
...ustrates the significance of developing and experiencing a balanced perspective on life. However, this parental challenge misunderstands that euphemism is used as a literary device to actually convey the horror of infanticide. Lowery further conveys the poverty of emotional experience that emerges when words are used superficially and without meaning. The Giver further demonstrates through the development of the protagonist, Jonas, that it is necessary to experience the negative aspects of life in order to enjoy the good life has to offer. It reveals that the price paid for the illusion of safety in a utopian environment is the demoralization of life and its endless possibilities, or, as more euphemistically referred to in today's society, no pain, no gain.
Work Cited:
Lowry, L. The Giver. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1993.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that lois lowry's the giver should not be censored parents in modern society routinely attempt to shield their children from evils of the world.
- Analyzes the hypocrisy of the actual community of parental critics when one realizes that they are citizens of a country that permits infanticide in another form.
- Analyzes lois lowry's stylistic ability to capture meaning not only in words, but also in experience conveyed by the words. the giver reveals the deprivation of true language within the community experience.
- Analyzes how jonas and his development throughout the novel demonstrate the positive and negative attributes of life.
- Analyzes how the giver illustrates the significance of developing and experiencing a balanced perspective on life.
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- argumentative
- Censorship - To Censor Literature is to Censor Lifeopinion essayTo Censor Literature is to Censor Life " All that mankind has done, thought, gained or been: it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books. They are the chosen possession of men." Thomas Carlyle spoke these words in the early 19th century.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that censorship of fiction is detrimental to children's mental health, since it encourages them to escape reality, while the fictional world is a dangerous web of lies.
- Explains hunt steinle, pamela, in cold fear: the catcher in the rye, censorship controversies and postwar american character.
- Opines that west, mark i. trust your children: voices against censorship in children's literature.
- Explains that profanity in children's literature has remained the most popular and easily exploitable target for censors.
- Opines that it amazes them when people think that they can obliterate certain words from their children's lives by banning books.
- Explains that authors do not include profanity in novels for the sheer joy of cursing, nor are they trying to corrupt young readers.
- Argues that censors who object to profanity in children's literature also find fault with the content authors choose to explore.
- Argues that censorship abounds in the united states despite first amendment rights.
- Opines that literature can teach children valuable lessons by example in a way that far surpasses adults preaching theories that are not relative to the children's world.
- Opines that the censors want children to be submerged in a fantasy world, as long as they can dictate the parameters of that world. tolerance is better than hate and fear.
- Cites coatney, sharon, and edwards, june, in opposing censorship in the public schools.
- Cites reaves, jessica, and trelease, jim. "book banning hits a road block: the first amedment."
2194 wordsRead More - Literary Devices In A Barred Owl By Richard Wilbur And Collinsanalytical essayAre adults overprotective of their children? To what point do we protect children? Where should the line be drawn? Along with those questions is how easily children can be influenced by these same adults. Two poets, Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins, express the ideas of how easily children can be manipulated and how sometimes adults think they are protecting their innocent children, when in reality they are not. Wilbur and Collins express these ideas in their poems through numerous literary devices. The literary devices used by Wilbur and Collins expose different meanings and two extremely different end results. Among the various literary devices used, Wilbur uses imagery, a simple rhyme scheme and meter, juxtaposition of the rational and irrational, and a humorous tone to represent the narrator’s attempt to “domesticate” irrational fears. Conversely Collins uses symbols, historical interpretations, imagery, diction and other literary devices to depict the history teacher’s effort to shield his students from reality. In the poems, “A Barred Owl,” by Richard Wilbur, and “The History Teacher,” by Billy Collins, both poets convey how adults protect and calm children from their biggest, darkest fears and curiosities.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how two poets, richard wilbur and billy collins, express the ideas of how easily children can be manipulated and how adults think they are protecting their innocent children.
- Analyzes how the rhyme scheme in "a barred owl" helps depict the simple and soothing tone of the poem.
- Analyzes how collins' use of irony emphasizes the idea of lying to children in "the history teacher."
- Analyzes how collins' play on words with historical events in "the history teacher" only underestimates the real-world dangers in a sarcastic manner.
- Analyzes how wilbur and collins demonstrate approaches to calming children, but the approaches differ in terms of protecting the children verses outright lying to them.
935 wordsRead More - The adult world is a cold and terrifying place. There are robberies, shootings, murders, suicides, and much more. If you were to be a small child, perhaps age 5, and you were to look in at this world, you would never know how bad it actually was, just from a single glance. Children have a small slice of ignorant bliss, which helps to keep them away from the harsh of reality. It isn’t until later, when they encounter something that opens their eyes and shows them, that they truly start to understand the world we live it. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird shows the many differences between the simplicity of being a kid and the tough decisions and problems that adults must face every day.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how harper lee's to kill a mockingbird shows the differences between the simplicity of being a kid and the tough decisions and problems that adults must face every day.
- Analyzes how jean louise finch, or scout, is an innocent character. she doesn't understand what is going on in the world until her father, atticus, explains it to her.
- Analyzes how bob yule is a corrupt character who beats his daughter, doesn't care for his children, and in the end tries to harm scout and jem.
- Analyzes how atticus finch is an honest man who has a dishonest job and must do what is right, even though the town is threatening to kill him.
- Opines that to lose innocence is not a bad thing and it is more easily stated as losing ignorance. ignorance is bliss and in this case ignorance is innocence.
634 wordsRead More - The Giver And Modern Day Society Essayargumentative essay“He killed it! My father killed it!” Imagine a world where babies are killed because they don't weigh as much as their twin. In the book, The Giver by Lois Lowry, the protagonist, Jonas feels trapped in this numb, heartless world and feels he needs to escape. He undergoes a journey where he figures out how life was before him. While Jonas’ society is emotionless with no love, experiences Sameness, and does not have the freedom to choose, modern day society is free to love, celebrates individuality and has the freedom to choose.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how jonas feels trapped in this numb, heartless world and feels he needs to escape. he undergoes a journey to figure out how life was before him.
- Compares jonas' society and modern day society, stating that the word love is used so little that it's almost obsolete.
- Compares jonas' society and modern day society in that they experience sameness.
- Analyzes how jonas' father was given an unusual job by the committee, and whether or not he liked it, had to keep it. modern society is not assigned jobs.
- Concludes that jonas is set in a society which at first appears utopian but later revealed to be dystopian as the story ends.
552 wordsRead More - Racism In Huck Finnanalytical essay“A child should not have to read something they don’t feel comfortable with”, said Kathy Monteiro (Born to Trouble)
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mark twain used the backdrop of a children's adventure novel to expose the post-civil war deep south for what it really was; highly prejudiced and slow to change.
- Argues that twain was trying to write an interesting story about how a boy, huckleberry finn (huck), who ran away from home had many adventures while rafting down the mississippi.
- Opines that ignoring the depth of issues this "children's tale" was addressing would be a waste of time.
- Opines that the san francisco chronicle agrees with twain's "huckleberry finn" on the ground that it is flippant and irreverent, is absurd.
- Analyzes how twain used a variety of characters in the story to expose issues that slowed the deep south from seeing "blacks" as equals.
- Analyzes how twain used miss watson to show how traditional, educated and religious folk were still falling prey to supporting the thinking of "blacks" being less than human.
- Analyzes how twain used huck to "investigate" christianity and found it to be insufficient to stop people from supporting slavery.
- Analyzes how twain uses pap's drunken rants in front of huck to illustrate how many "whites" in the deep south continued to perceive "blacks."
- Analyzes how twain uses the characters of two con men referred to as "duke" and "king" to show how corruption continued to take place among the towns' people in the deep south.
- Analyzes how twain used the character of jim, a black runaway, to show how "black" people can be every bit as compassionate and caring and have better moral values.
- Analyzes how jim showed almost parent-like compassion for huck when he did not allow him to view the face of the dead man they found in house.
- Analyzes how huck pulled a prank on jim in chapter 15, which hurt jim's feelings tremendously.
- Analyzes how jim, a common sub-human black man, showed the ultimate human act of self-sacrifice for people that normally wouldn't sacrifice anything for him.
- Analyzes how twain highlighted how much the majority of "whites" in the deep south ignored the reality that "black" people are people too.
- Analyzes how twain uses huck's character to show how even a logical person from the south would have to battle through upbringing and tradition to see "blacks" as people too.
- Analyzes how huck's logic and experiences prevailed over the "traditional" thinking of the deep south; he came to see "blacks" as people too.
- Analyzes how mark twain's harsh language and use of characters showed how much the thinking of the majority of people in the deep south fought progression.
1498 wordsRead More - Age and Maturity: Not One in the Same. Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help which Prove Thisanalytical essay16 year old Lexi walks down her school hallway in Sarasota, Florida and notices that the art room is overflowing with supplies. “Wow we are lucky to have all these paints,” she thinks to herself as she starts to pick up a book located nearby. The book cover illustrates crafty artworks from Latin America; each artwork lacking a range of supplies. This found book causes her to start her own charity called Art 4 Niño’s at only age 16. Although at a young age, she is one of the few teens taking a stand, which makes her more mature than the typical 16 years old. This act is just one example how age does not limit the ability of an individual. The novels, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Help by Kathryn Stockett, both explore how actions can reach beyond an age’s “normal stereotypes.” Both novels illustrate that maturity is not dependent on one’s age but one’s actions.
In this essay, the author
- Illustrates how age does not limit the ability of an individual. to kill a mockingbird by harper lee and the help by kathryn stockett illustrate that maturity is not dependent on one’s age but one's actions.
- Analyzes how lee demonstrates that as individuals, one must decide how to react in difficult circumstances. the metaphor of a caterpillar coming out of its cocoon makes jem realize the corruption of racism.
- Analyzes how stockett demonstrates that as individuals, one is considered mature by one’s actions. the tone of suspense is childlike and portrays the situation.
- Analyzes how stockett portrays minny as mature because she stayed and tried to help ms. celia.
- Analyzes how lee conveys that one's maturity is determined by how one acts in difficult situations and stockett demonstrates that as individuals, one is considered mature by one actions in everyday events.
977 wordsRead More - Theodore Geisel's Emergence as Dr. Seussanalytical essayThrough over forty-two books Dr. Seuss has been able to encourage children to seek delight in reading and has opened the minds of successive generations. He designed books that inspire children to learn through entertainment, by providing according to Steven Brezzo, Director of the San Diego Museum of Art, "a fantastic refuge of wacky characters, convoluted logic, and silly vocabulary." The accomplishments of Dr. Seuss are far-ranging: not only did he resurrect the pleasure of reading for children, and inspire them to think creatively, but he taught many a moral lesson to us during what researchers have discovered are our most formative years. We have learned tolerance and consideration, individuality and compromise, and even morality concerning the ideology of nuclear armament(The Butter Battle Book, 1984) and materialistic society's effect upon the natural world(The Lorax, 1971). These lessons were often taught subtly, subconsciously embracing our young psyche, for as children Dr. Seuss was primarily a wonderful synonym for fanciful adventures that showed us a life we could create beyond reality, where having fun was paramount. For many ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the name "dr. seuss" evokes fond memories of a cherished childhood. the simple anapestic tetrameter rhythm coupled with nonsensical words and illustrations of outlandish creatures appealed to the vibrant, dynamic imagination.
- Analyzes how dr. seuss resurrected the pleasure of reading for children, and taught many moral lessons to us during our formative years.
- Argues that the model for creativity set up by dr. howard gardener in his book, creative frames of mind will be employed in describing theodore geisel's accomplishments, innovations, and the means of education.
- Explains that theodore seuss geisel was born in a roomy middle-class home in the energetic, optimistic and self-reliant city of springfield, massachusetts.
- Analyzes how ted geisel was a bright student, but not dedicated. he was involved in various school activities, including the mandolin club, minstrel play, and stage productions.
- Narrates how theodore seuss geisel earned his income through contributing cartoons and humorous pieces to weekly and monthly humor magazines. his humor became popular and he was hired as an advertiser.
- Describes how ted geisel became engaged with the idea to write a children's book after illustrating schoolboy howlers in 1931. he was entranced by the anapestic rhythm of the motors as they chugged their way into his thoughts.
- Analyzes how interpersonal intelligence played a key role in ted's success in new york as well as throughout his life.
- Analyzes how dr. seuss manipulated language by creating words where english fell short. ted geisel was commissioned to the army signal corps in hollywood, california, and began making documentaries.
- Explains that dr. seuss continued to work on children's books, filmmaking, and advertising until his paramount work emerged in 1957.
- Analyzes how geisel's death in 1991 was a reminder of the impact he had on many lives. they argue that dr. seuss is here forever, in the minds and hearts of those who love him.
- Analyzes kanfer, stefan, and geisel's the doctor beloved by all. time magazine, october 7, 1991.
- Explains that ted was not a remarkable student, though he was recognized as among the "big-men on campus" through his dazzling wit and charm.
- Explains that dr. seuss was inspired by john hersey's article on the "dick and jane" novel.
3876 wordsRead More - Paradise Lost And Mean Girls Essayanalytical essayJohn Milton’s epic Paradise Lost and Mark Water’s movie Mean Girls display how different parental styles affect children. Parents are important characters in all works, whether it be a novel, play, movie, epic, or television show. As a result of the many mediums in which parents are portrayed, often different representations of parents can appear. This is the case with Paradise Lost and Mean Girls. Not only do these works showcase the different ways parental figures govern over children, but they also show how the reactions children have to these controls can be very similar even in different situations. As is apparent with the parent and/or divine leader roles of God the Father and Satan in Paradise Lost and Mrs. George and Mr. and Mrs. Heron in Mean Girls. An analysis of both Paradise Lost and Mean Girls
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john milton's epic paradise lost and mark water’s movie mean girls display how different parental styles affect children.
- Explains that paradise lost is full of complexities surrounding parents and divine figures. god the father is less the parental figure of adam and eve than simply their creator.
- Explains that god the father does not directly converse with his creations. instead, he sends the son or an angel to connect with adam and eve.
429 wordsRead More - Helicopter Parents and Ignorant Actionsanalytical essayToni Morrison, author of The Bluest Eye and Nobel Prize winner, is well-respected for the literature she writes. This type of literature is called Recovery Literature, which is defined as an effort on the part of contemporary writers who, in the wake of cultural fragmentation brought on by integration, seek to recall aspects of the past African American culture when they were contained in small cohesive communities tied closely to the land of the rural south. Recovery Literature such as The Bluest Eye is essential in any learning environment due to the history it represents, but School Boards across the nation are having these books removed from the shelves. There are several cases where concerned parents wish to remove Morrison’s The Bluest Eye due to its graphic language. Parents in these challenges on graphic language wish to censor the incestuous rape scene and the language used when describing sexual actions that occur in the book. In other cases the book is accused of being anti-white on the basis of two situations in the book where whites are mentioned. Censoring Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye due to its incestuous rape scene, anti-white claims and graphic language is wrong because school boards are removing the history of African American culture in the 1940s.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that toni morrison's the bluest eye is well-respected for the literature she writes. recovery literature is an effort on the part of contemporary writers who seek to recall aspects of the past african american culture.
- Argues that censoring morrison's the bluest eye due to its incestuous rape scene, anti-white claims, and graphic language does injustice to students in the school system.
- Analyzes how the rape scene in morrison's the bluest eye is interpreted at face value by the littleton public school districts.
- Analyzes bloom, harold, and foerstel's book, "the most frequently banned or challenged books, 1996–2000."
- Explains that maryland schools ban books by maya angelou and toni morrison.
1410 wordsRead More - Awareness versus Ignoranceargumentative essayChildren are common group of people who are generally mislabeled by society. In the short story “Charles’’ by Shirley Jackson and ‘’The Open Window” by Saki showed examples of the labeling of children. In “Charles” the concept of parents labeling their children as being pure and sincere was shown. As in “The Open Window” by Saki “used the notion that girls were the most truthful sex and gives her a name that suggests truthfulness to make her tale less suspect.”(Wilson 178). According to Welsh “Because the fantasy is so bizarre and inventive and totally unexpected from a fifteen-year-old girl, the reader is momentarily duped.”(03). This showed that even we as the readers were a victim of misleading labels of society.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the two short stories in "the open window" and "charles" invalidate the belief that children are incapable of deception.
- Compares "charles" and "the open window" in that the mother is blinded by her son's story about charles, and mr. nuttel based all his judgment on vera purely on image.
- Compares the two short stories that discredited labeling of people by society. the ironic ending of "charles" and "the open window" exposes readers to the truth behind the story.
- Analyzes how both stories exhibited children's ability to deceive adults by lying whether or not it was with malicious intent.
- Opines that basing your judgment purely on perception is unwise. people tend to overlook others based on their perception which can cause us to fall victim to mislabeling.
- Explains that society is responsible for labeling groups of people, generally these labels are misleading. in shirley jackson's "charles", parents labeled their children as being pure and sincere.
1389 wordsRead More