The Giver Theme Essay

Jonas learns that his community, although it may seem perfect at first, it is lacking many of the key things that make life special and worthwhile. When pain, hate, and grief are taken away, along with them disappear snow, color, and love. For without evil, you cannot have good. When negative things are eliminated, something wonderful is sacrificed along with it, causing a perfect life to be impossible to achieve.

Jonas goes through a lot while receiving the memories from The Giver. He first gets happy memories such as the sled, but then The Giver has to give him painful memories. He first receives the memory of physical pain from sunburn (Lowry 86). The pain is minimal compared to the memory of a broken leg (Lowry 109) and an injured arm during a war. During the war memory, he sees death (Lowry 119, 121). He experiences grief when he receives the memory the shot elephant (Lowry 100). Most haunting of all are the memories of the release of old and the part his father plays in the release of new born (Lowry 150). These trials at first horrify Jonas but he learns to deal with the

Jonas has received memories, he received memories of war, of pain, and emotions that have made him feel differently. All of the information, and knowledge Jonas experienced and went through changed his opinions. “With his new heightened feelings, he was overwhelmed by sadness at the way others had laughed and shouted playing war. But he knew that they could not understand why, without the memories”(167). Throughout the book Jonas starts to develop new emotions that change his opinion on what happiness really is. “By now Jonas had experienced countless bits

“’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.

Imagine living in a perfect society, and hearing that someone has been selected for the most important job. There is extreme pain to go with this job, but pain is something never felt before. The assignment of being the communities next Receiver is a punishment, not an honor. While being the new Receiver of Memory, Jonas receives a large amount of pain from different experiences in his memories. Jonas realizes that his training for being the new Receiver is going to be very lonely and he is worried if he is going to be able to hang out with his friends. Jonas now realizes that his life will now be different from what his life was before.

Starting the story, Jonas receives his assignment at the Ceremony of 12. He was chosen to be the receiver of memory. Jumping forward to his training, an old man named,¨The Giver¨ transmits memories for Jonas to cherish. He was told he will experience joy, happiness, loneliness and most importantly, pain. Beginning his training, Jonas lays on a couch for The Giver to lay his hand on his back to transmit Jonas´s first memory. It was very joyful. As an

In this situation, Jonas witnesses an event that forces him to understand that life may involve suffering and fear. Seeing this memory compelled Jonas to be wiser with his actions because he too may experience much pain throughout his life, thus, causing his gain of maturity. In addition, according to Jonas when he experiences his father “release” a young newborn child, “the newchild, no longer crying, moved his arms and legs in a jerking motion. Then he went limp. His head fell to the side, his eyes half open” (Lowry 187).

In The Giver Jonas’s life flashed before him as became to feel happier, “Memories of joy flooded through him” (223). He started to remember his life back in the community. He remembers his family, his sister

Jonas has changed from being feelingless and as the story goes on he develops feelings.

Jonas is not able to share the memories with any friends or unit family members and he has to deal with the fact that his friends and his family unit always ask him and he has t lie to them tellings them that they just walk all the time and he learns new

Jonas was selected as the next Receiver of Memory. Upon his training, he discovered and felt things that not all people in their society know. He realized a lot of things about the world. He discovered there is something more with the world than what he has known of. And as he felt things, he realized the things that are wrong with their idealistic society.

(SIP-A) Some of the memories that Jonas gains were very negative memories. (STEWE-1) Once Jonas wanted to know what causes the giver pain. “‘giver what causes you pain’... ‘lie down,’ ‘it’s time, I suppose’... Jonas - fell with his leg twisted under him, and could hear the crack of bone.” (Lowry 107-109). This is when Jonas realizes that nobody knows real pain. (STEWE-2) Jonas was once given a disturbing memory if guns and elephants dying. He could hear noises: the sharp crack of weapons… He watched them hack the tusks from a motionless elephant on the ground and haul them away… Now he saw another elephant emerge from the place where it had stood… it tilted its massive head, raised its trunk and roared into the empty landscape. (Lowry 100-101). Jonas was disturbed when he saw death and the animal roar with rage and grief. (SIP-B) When Jonas tried to share his memories it backfired on him. (STEWE-1) Jonas tried to reach out to his friend Asher but when he did his “friend” didn’t understand. “‘Don’t play it anymore,’... ‘games aren’t in your area of expertness’... ‘Asher,’... ‘...it’s a cruel game’”. (Lowry 134-135). nobody understands him. (STEWE-2) When Jonas’s dad kills a twin out of the set it pushes him over the edge. “He killed it! My father killed it! ... “well there you are, Jonas. you were wondering about release”. (Lowry 150-151). (CS) because of this treatment jonas comes to completely reject

He also received the memory of walking through the woods. “Although he had through the memories learned about pain of loss and loneliness, now he gained, too, an understanding of solitude and its joy.” (Page 153). In this quote, Jonas walks through the woods and understands the good side of loneliness.

The author illustrates Jonas’s experiences with a birthday party, “He had seen a birthday party, with one child singled out and celebrated on his day, so that now he understood the joy of being an individual, special and unique and proud." (Lowry 121). This illustrates an experience Jonas has gone through that he has rather enjoyed. The Giver gives Jonas a memory of a birthday party, and Jonas starts to feel as if he is free and safe away from his society. Throughout the Novel, Jonas was given a handful of wonderful pleasing memories like experiencing the world of colors, seeing snow and even going sledding, and also being involved in a Christmas party. The author summarizes the overall theme by illustrating pleasant memories that Jonas has been given at full length in the

In the novel, the author uses the characters, plot, and conflict to develop the theme that life can not be taken for granted. The author uses Jonas’s father to help develop the theme that life can not be taken for granted. The author uses Jonas to help show how emotions help people not take life for granted. The author uses Jonas and his father to help show how people can not take life for