First, the value a society places on human life can be revealed in how it mourns death. For instance, in Jonas’s society, when the old die there is a celebration. Early in the story, Jonas explains how release of the old is no time for grief, “Release of the elderly, which was a time of celebration for a life well and fully lived” (7). While Release for the elderly is celebrated, the elderly do not know that they are about to be euthanized. As a result, the death is not truly acknowledged and certainly not mourned. In contrast, in modern society, when someone dies it is a time of grief and sometimes people can never truly move on from the loss. The modern society counterpart to the Release ceremony, also, is a funeral, which is held after …show more content…
As Jonas watches the Ceremony, we read “Each December; all the new children born in the previous year turn one” (11). While yes, they do grow a year older, no one actually celebrates it on the day that they were born. As well as everyone celebrating their “birthday” on the same day, each age gets a designated present at the ceremony. “There are good things each year, “Jonas reminded [Lily].” had said to his sister, “This year you get to start your volunteer hours. And remember last year, when you became a Seven, you were so happy to get your front-buttoned jacket.” (40). Not only are the children getting the same exact gifts, but they are not even getting toys, or things that fit their interest. Rather, they are getting front button jackets, volunteer hours, and haircuts. Lastly, everyone from the community attends the Ceremony. As Readers learn from early on in the book, “The entire community attends the ceremony each year” (41). It does not matter if children do not know any of the people attending, they will be there. On the contrary, In modern society, people often get a day to themselves and are spoiled with gifts and sweets. As well as that, in today's society, friend and family often give people gifts, and not the government. Finally, in modern day, children invite who they want at their birthday party, and don’t just bring the entire community. Overall, the way that Jonas’s society celebrates their “birthday” shows that in that society, it is clearly not important for people to choose if they get to celebrate their birthday, because the Grand Elder chose for their citizens, and decided that everyone will celebrate in one day. However, in modern society, citizens do in fact have option to celebrate their birthdays or not. Modern day citizens also have the choice to i’ve each other different gifts, unlike Jonas’s
In the book The Giver, Jonas leaves his restricted community to get to Elsewhere, a place where his memories will come true. Jonas’s only companion is Gabriel, a baby who was entitled to a horrible death. The question is, will they both survive in time to get to Elsewhere? Based on clues from the book, it seems like Jonas and Gabriel do survive and get to Elsewhere, because the book suggest that Jonas starts to experience his memories in real life, and he hears music for the first time. A reason to believe that Jonas and Gabriel do survive, is that Jonast starts to experience his own memories.
In the complex argument of whether Jonas dies or lives, it is clear that he had fallen into the grave. The text states that Jonas saw a light and felt warmth: “But somewhere ahead, through the blinding storm, he knew there was warmth and light.” The glowing in which Jonas sees is the luminous heaven and the warmth in which he feels is just the embrace of dying and drifting off to the afterlife. The text also states that Jonas was beginning to feel weak and faint, “Using his final strength, and a special knowledge that was deep inside him, Jonas found the sled that was waiting for them at the top of the hill. Numbly his hands fumbled for the rope.” He didn't have any strength left which means that Jonas could not get up and keep moving forward
Jonas’ has had a variety of interesting experiences throughout the book. The Giver by Lois Lowry is about Jonas and he goes through many changes in his life with some help from the Giver. Jonas’ experiences develop a theme over the course of The Giver by teaching the reader for every action there is a consequence. Although some readers may believe that there will not be a consequence, Jonas’ experiences show that there are good and bad consequences for everything you do.
(AGG)Why might someone come to reject their society? (BS-1)After Jonas learns different life through memories he comes to accept his society. (BS-2)Then Jonas starts to question his community when he realizes that they have different opinions on how a community should run. (BS-3)Now Jonas is disgusted with his community and acts out against it. (TS)Throughout the book Jonas is driven by loneliness and decides to reject his society because of this.
Jonas lives with his father who is a Nurturer of new children, his mother, and his seven-year-old sister Lily. At the beginning of the novel, he is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, when he will be given his job that cannot be altered or changed, which officially presents him as a new adult member of the community. He doesn’t have a single
At the age of twelve, there is no more counting or celebrating their birthdays. Jonas knew “That after the age of twelve he stopped celebrating his birthdays” (Lowry 126). When they did celebrate birthdays, one through twelve, all of the ages celebrated together at their ceremonies. At each ceremony, all of the kids got one of the same thing depending on if it was a bike or clothes. “At the ceremony of Elevens, there was new clothing for the little boys and little girls” (Lowry 96). One of the most important ceremonies of them all was ceremonies of twelve because that was when the committee of elders would choose what job each twelve got. They would call them up one by one saying “Fiona you have been the job of Caretaker of the Old” (Lowry 56). Birthdays were celebrated very differently in their society compared to ours because people come together with their family and celebrate all the ages and all types of presents are given. Our society seems perfect just the way it is compared to the Givers society
Even though, Jonas has a high honor in his community, it is a punishment because of all the pain he has to endure and also having to keep all the memories and his training to himself. During break time at school, all the students were talking about their first day of training, but Jonas stayed calm and listened to everyone "He was aware of his own admonition not to discuss his training" (Lowry 112). This shows that Jonas’s selection was a punishment because he could not be a normal kid and fit in with everybody else, making different. Also, after the Giver gave Jonas some painful memories he felt lonely because he was not allowed to talk about it and no one knew how he felt.
Jonas has to learn more about death and pain than he already has. Death was something that wasn’t talked about in the community. The community “releases” members when they are old or if there is a set of twins or something wrong with a baby. Release is something celebrated within the community. Jonas had no idea that what release really means is to murder someone. He watches the release of a baby boy who was part of a set of twins born into the community. His father is the one performing this release because his father is a nurturer. This knowledge left Jonas devastated and in shock that his father could do something so terrible. He leaves the Giver’s and tells him that he can no longer continue receiving the memories. He takes a few days and collects himself. Fiona, his childhood friend talks him into to going back. Love is another emotion new to Jonas. He falls in love with Fiona. Falling in love is a big step that usually happens in adulthood. Another thing Jonas does that proves his progression in maturity is he decides to leave the community. When you grow up, you leave your mom and dad’s house which is how I connected this part of Jonas’ life with that of a real life
As humans, we have an emotional depth unlike the people of Jonas' communtiy. Everything is already done for them but with this, there are many flaws such as not feeling love, compassion, empathy, fear, and sadness. One example of having no real depth of feelings is when at the Telling of Feelings session, Lily explains how she “felt” angry when a boy from another community was not following the rules of her community. Jonas’ family reassess this by telling
“Things could change, Gabe," Jonas went on. "Things could be different. I don't know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors. And grandparents," he added, staring through the dimness toward the ceiling of his sleeping room.
is intrigued about the things he has experienced. The things that he didn’t know about interest him. Jonas goes to The Giver’s house again and asks him about the different things that have changed when he saw them. The Giver tells him to remember the sled from yesterday. When he does the sled is red. The giver explains that he is beginning to see the color red. He explains that the sled was just red instead of changing to red is because the memory is when red still existed.
In the book The Giver Jonas has a really complicated relationships with his father. It all started when his father told him about release but lied about it. Jonas thought that the people getting released would go to a happy place, but actually his father kills them with a shot then dumps them in the garbage. The Giver showed Jonas a video about the truth of the release because his father told him a lie. Jonas was very displeased when he found out what his dad does at a release and could not get pass the thought that his dad was a liar. Jonas can trust the giver because the Giver has never lied to Jonas and his dad has. This related in Jonas to have trust issues with other people.
Jonas’ community appears to be a utopia, but, in reality, it is a dystopia. The people seem perfectly content to live in an isolated wreck—in a government run by a select few—in which a group of Elders enforces the rules. In Jonas’ community, there is no poverty, starvation, unemployment, lack of housing, or discrimination; everything is perfectly planned to eliminate any problems. However, as the book progresses and Jonas gains insight into what the people have willingly given up—their freedoms and individualities—for the so-called common good of the community, it becomes more and more obvious that the community is a horrible place in which to live. You as a reader can relate to the disbelief and horror that Jonas feels when he realizes
Jonas died in Lois Lowry’s dystopian novel, The Giver. Jonas is dead because the text says “But he began to, suddenly to be happy. He began to recall happy times. He remembered his parents and his sister.” (223) Jonas was flooded with happiness and remembered his family as his eyes were shutting. He was losing consciousness as he sledded down the hill. He also misinterpreted the memory of Christmas wrong because his brain was becoming weak he saw different color lights. Jonas is dead because his life flashed before his eyes, he was losing consciousness, and he saw different color lights during Christmas than he did in the memory, Lowry here is trying to tell us that he is dead because he saw them different and he knows that they aren’t real.
Jonas discovers what is really beyond his community, beyond all the rules and policies they have to follow; he decides to leave and give all of his memories to the rest of the community so they would know about what they have not seen or experienced before. Jonas discovers that the community has decided too many things for everyone. He realizes Sameness is not right, that it cannot last any longer. He thinks of all the what-ifs. What if the Elders choose a wrong spouse? What if the Elders choose the wrong job for someone?