The Giver Essay

In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the receivers are the only people who have feelings and memories. The elders are the people who choose what the best is for their people in the community and sometimes they go to the receiver for help on making the right decisions. The people from the community do not see color, or have freedom on making a decision for them. There is no love, feelings, and grandparents. Jonas is assigned to be the next receiver of the community; He was trained by the giver, who transfers memories of the pain and pleasures of life, who also shows him the truth and reality that is hidden to the community. Jonas’s community does not represent the ideal of society because there are no choices or distinctions between men

To me a utopia cannot be achieved, a utopia would be “perfect world” where everyone is satisfied. A dystopia can be very far from perfect, as it is in The Giver. The world in The Giver by Lois Lowry is a dystopia because no world anywhere can ever be perfect, the people who live there will never be truly happy and because without choice life can be very boring, as it is in The Giver.

My first reason on why I think the giver is a dystopia because they don’t get to choose their jobs. They have ceremony every year and when you turn twelve they get assigned a job. People will get assigned a job that they might not like, but there is a chance that they could get a job they like. For example on page 60“ in a firm, commanding voice she announced, ‘Jonas has been selected to be our next Receiver Of Memory”. Jonas was nervous at first about his job because the chief elder has described his job as painful and that the pain was “ indescribable.” Later he then just wants to be a regular child instead of being the Reciever.

“’Memories are forever”’ (Lowry). People make new memories every day without even realizing it. Some good some bad, that’s just the way of life, but in The Giver nobody knows what happened before them. People barley remember what their childhood was like, they don’t understand the importance of memory and that memories are forever. Aspects of life, rules, and prosperities between our world and Jonas’ world are very different yet have some similarities. Things that are crucial to the characters in The Giver are not as meaningful to the people in our world.

The final reason that I think the Giver portrays a dystopian society is their method of release. They may think that they’re sorting out good and bad, but what do they know? If they don’t know anything about love, why should they know about pain, suffering, death, and war? Everyone outside of the releasing room thought their dear friend was going Elsewhere… but the people inside that horrid room witnessed, or committed, the murder of innocents. There were no such things as identical twins; the lighter one would be killed. The people had no perception of death, for all they know that little baby, which just happened to be 3 ounces lighter than his brother, could really be going Elsewhere. Even if they’re traveling there through a garbage chute. Not only children were released though, as Jonas’ mother tells them it can happen to the middle aged too, “‘You know that there’s no third chance. The rules say that if there’s a third transgression, he simply has to be released.’” (pg.9). Some people were so ignorant on the subject that they used the word as a joke, like the speaker when the pilot flew over the town, “NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE WILL BE RELEASED, the voice had said, followed by silence. There was an ironic tone to that final message, as if the Speaker found it amusing…” (pg.2). Who wants to

     This book is about a boy names Jonas. Jonas lives in a futuristic society where there is no pain, fear, war, and hatred. There is also no prejudice, since everyone looks and acts basically the same, there is very little competition. They have also eliminated choice.

What had Jonas change through the novel called The Giver?Throughout The Giver Jonas made made multiple dessions that lead to his change, for example, Jonas forgot to take the medicine and he felt love for fiona and he cared for others.Then Jonas stoped taking the medicine to see if the apple would change again, because of his choice Jonas' life changed.Jonas' life changes as a result of conflict with his dystopian society and had made him understand more about the society and why they were keeping the memories from the society.

Everybody has their own opinions on whether or not Jonas’s community is a utopia or a dystopia. The author got the inspiration for this story when her father was losing his memory. She then meant to write about a utopian community. Is Jonas’s community utopia or dystopia? Jonas’s community is a dystopia because they have release, no freedom of choice, and no freedom to leave.

"All knowledge hurts." — Cassandra Clare (City of Bones, The Mortal Instruments, #1) Knowledge may hurt, if the truth is discovered, but the knowledge and truth can give wisdom among other traits, but in the novel, The Giver wisdom gives honor. Knowledge can also change the way one may feel towards something. The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a novel which portrays the notion that knowledge can change someone's opinion. Knowledge may change your likes, dislikes, and fears.

It is horrific to kill innocent people and to lie to an entire community about what is occurring. The Council of Elders initiates this "release" to undeveloped infants, criminals, and the elderly. A celebration of life is conducted for the Old before they walk through a door and are released to Elsewhere, which is said to be a wonderful place, not murder. This is an unacceptable way to lead a community and dehumanizes citizens by executing them as well as depriving them of the knowledge of what is really taking

How would it feel if this world didn’t let people have choices, didn’t let people share, or if they didn’t let people celebrate birthdays, holidays, or just celebrate anything? Well that’s what it was like for Jonas in The Giver. Jonas lives in the future in a community where The Giver is the only one who knows everything, but soon all that changed for Jonas. He became the the community 's new Receiver of Memory, and soon Jonas learns the terrible secrets of this “utopian” community. Later on as he learns some more about the community’s secrets he makes a plan to leave the community, and to take Gabe with him so he wouldn’t get released.(which means they die, but the community doesn’t understand that) In this book choices, sharing, and celebrations would have made The Giver community more positive.

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a Utopia because no one is ever starving, no one really feels pain, and they can’t choose wrong. Throughout our world I have seen many people on the sides of streets having no food, no home, and no family with no one helping them to have a better life. I have also seen people helping the homeless and shelters but in this book they don’t need to do that because everybody already has a home and food. Plus they don’t have to ask for money and food, they already have it.

“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of progress”- John F. Kennedy. Pacific Trails planning committee is debating whether to create a utopian society based on conformity or individuality and they want to be sure to decide the right choice for an ideal community. Individuality is the better choice because there’s a greater life experience and there are more contributions to society.

Imagine living in a society where you have the freedom to do what you want. No one telling you how to live your life and you make your own choices. A democratic society allows for freedom of choice. Living in the democratic society with freedom is better than living in a utopian society because you get to do what you want, pick how you want to live and be free to express yourself.

I am the Giver. When I was 12 years old, I was been selected. Since that time, I was the only receiver in the community.