The Giver is a futuristic novel that was written by Lois Lowry. She wrote the book shortly after the First Gulf War. Lowry writes about an ultramodern utopian civilization with strict rules and guide lines. In this society people don’t have the basic feelings and do not have the free will to choose for them self. When one boy receives the ability to do all of these things it could change all culture in the society. His ability put to the test and he might not be ready to survive. The story is written from the third person point of view because the narrator is telling the reader what is happening only through what Jonas thinks and sees. Because the reader doesn’t know what others are thinking, they don’t know if others are feeling the …show more content…
Jonas is the protagonist and main character in the story. He is smart but doesn’t understand the power that he is given in his assignment. Jonas is given the rare assignment of being the receiver of memory. The previous receiver, The Giver, gives Jonas memories of the world before sameness. Jonas takes in the memories but because no one else has these feeling he doesn’t know how to express them. The Giver is a wise and intelligent man that has all of the feelings and experiences that people before sameness felt. Because he is growing old he must transfer all of his memories to Jonas. Jonas’s father is a kind and loving man who works as a nurturer. As a nurturer he takes care of all the infants in the community before they are assigned to a family group. Jonas’s mother is a smart woman who is very serious about her position the community. She works in the department of justice and determines if people should be released when they break the rules. Both of Jonas’s give him advice about life and they love him dearly. Lily, Jonas’s sister, is a sweet little girl but doesn’t have a filter so she says things right when they come to her. She often tries to give her family advice but is always correct. Jonas has two best friends that he loves and cares for deeply. Jonas, Asher, and Fiona do all of their volunteer hours together and ride their bikes together. In the community
When jonas experienced twisting his leg from a memory, Jonas felt alone. No one knew what pain was, except for himself and his trainer. “They have never known pain, he thought. The realization made him feel desperately lonely.” (139). Jonas being the main character, is chosen to be the receiver. The receiver of the community, has the ability to see beyond. According to the
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
Throughout quarters 3 and 4 we have touched on many of the essential questions that we have learned about throughout the year, but I feel we have touched mostly on how do experiences help define who we are and who we will become and how can choices impact an outcome. So with those two questions I had came up with a thesis statement to sum up those questions with things that had happened in real life and what we have learned during third and fourth quarter. My thesis statement is, Our actions define who we are and who we will become in life.
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?
In the Giver the main protagonist, Jonas, who lives in a mundane world without differences, follows the path towards the archetypal hero's journey. Jonas begins his call for adventure with being specifically selected as the next receiver of memory. This job entitles him to memories from the Giver to help the community continue to thrive. His deep thought and reflection against it shows his refusal of the call until he is finally able to accept this responsibility. Finally he begins the adventure.
At the beginning Jonas is naive because he is brought in a world of sameness, but as he receives the memories he gains a sense of diversity. The community is a place where mistakes are not acceptable; everything has to be perfect. Jonas is different but, his difference is useful to the community. When Jonas is named the Receiver of Memory, he experiences the life before sameness. “Jonas learned, through the memories, the names of colors; and now he began to see them all” (122).
This little essay is about the story the giver. I will tell you about what my thesis is and what maybe will happen next.
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.
The Giver is written by Lois Lowry in 1993. The book is about 11 years old Jonas. In Jonas’ community they don’t make these decisions theirself, and everything is controlled by the authorities. The families consist of two parents and two children, one boy and one girl. They are assign children and partners, nothing is random. When the children turn 12 years old, they are given a profession. Jonas is very nervous about this ceremony, and when the day comes he isn’t called up to the stage as everyone else. Jonas is selected as the community’s next Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver of Memory you get all the memories that has even been. Jonas learns the power of lying and feelings and he really wants his community to feel
Jonas hates how his society decides to keep memories a secret from everyone. Jonas says: “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared” (Lowry 154). Jonas feels that memories, whether it be good or bad, should be shared with everyone. Furthermore, memories allow the community to gain wisdom from remembering experiences of the past. As for The Giver, The Giver disagrees with how the community runs things. He believes that memories should be experienced by everyone as well, because life is meaningless without memories. The Giver says: “There are so many things I could tell them; things I wish they would change. But they don’t want change. Life here is so orderly, so predictable–so painless. It’s what they’ve chosen [...] It’s just that… without memories, it’s all meaningless. They gave that burden to me” (Lowry 103). The Giver is burdened with the responsibility to not share memories even though that is what he feels the community deserves. In addition, he believes the community lives a very monotonous life where nothing ever changes. Everything is meaningless without memories because the community does not know what it is like to be human without feelings. Overall, Jonas and The Giver’s outlooks on their “utopian” society change as they realize that without
A wealthy philanthropist and his friends are stalked by a dark entity that may be connected to his past.
Life would be so much different if people did not have the ability to make decisions on their own. In the Giver, a twelve-year-old boy named Jonas does not have the option on who he marries and is not related to his parents or the future children he has. All of those selections are made for him. Even the decision on when he dies is made for him. The biggest differences between Jonas society and modern day society are family, death, and marriage.
The award winning novel The Giver by Lois Lowry shows young readers that a utopian society differs from the real world. In the book the utopians are unaware of the true meaning of choices, individual vs society, and memory which limits their ways of thinking. Without an idea of what any of these themes are, they are oblivious of how much they are being controlled. These themes play an important role in more than just Jonas’s life, without it, the book wouldn't be the same considering all the themes, for example choices.
“Days went by, and weeks. Jonas learned, through the memories, the names of colors; and now he began to see it all, his ordinary life (though he knew it was ordinary no longer, and would never be again).” After all living in a democratic society with freedom is better than living in a utopian society without freedom. Living in a democratic society you have freedom to choose what you like and you can think what you want and you can be yourself and not like anyone else.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety.” Freedom is one of the most important ideas in life, even if there is danger, it’s worth it. Freedom is everything, once one gives freedom up for safety, you no longer can make decisions for yourself. Above all, Freedom always comes with a little danger, but take a walk on the wild side, a little danger could make life more interesting.