In The Giver, Lowry presents a society where keeping order and peace has led to little emotion and real happiness. Discuss
How is the community initially shown to be perfect, and what counts as imperfection?
In this community, everything seems perfect because everyone obey the rules and lives in identical houses and dresses alike. There are no war, diseases and natural disasters everyone live safely. However, being perfect means no one can be different or express their feelings too much. Besides, there are many stricts rules in the community, if the newborn baby does not meet the standard, then they will be released, that is, euthanasia. Although the community tries hard to be perfect, people even do not remember their past, there are no freedom and personality. Therefore, these are the imperfections of the community.
What clues are there to its true (dystopian) nature?
In this society, everyone must follow strict rules, showing a lack of personal freedom. And people are told to suppress their emotions, cause they can’t ask more or express many emotions. What’s more, citizens are assigned roles in the community at the ceremony of twelve, where their future are predetermined by the elders. They can’t have their own choices, showing the lack of freedom. These all reveal that the community is not as perfect as it does.
How does Jonas’ sense of morality and ethics change through the novel?
Jonas sense of morality and ethics undergone transformation after he discovered the unreasonable of the community, he then faced the moral dilemmas. At the beginning of the story , he followed the rules and didn’t develop critical thinking, after he started to receive the memory from old the giver, he realized what was ‘release’. The key factor that change his morality was Gabriel will be released, he thought that was wrong, therefore, he decided to took the baby away from this community.
What are the key moment of moral doubt that he experiences.
I think the key moment is that Jonas find that release actually is euthanasia and Gabriel didn’t meet the standard will be released by the community. Hence, he took Gabriel escaped cause he thought release was wrong.
If you were Jonas, would you use your newfound power differently to him?
If I were Jonas, after I find that I were different from other people, and I know more things than they know. Therefore, I may use my power to create a peaceful and orderly society can protect many people, and avoid they suffer from painful.
What kind of world lies beyond the community in the Elsewhere? Does the novel have hope, and if so what is it hopeful about?
In the real life, everyone has the opportunity to decide their own future. We can see color, feel the weather change, enjoy different wonderful sceneries. We can develop our own personality and experiences multifarious jobs. In this novel there have hope, because at the end of the story, Jonas took Gabriel escaped from the community, and they were on a hill, full of white snow. Writer did not define whether Jonas escaped from the community successfully, but there are still chance that they find a new world full of love and happiness.
Why know the memory is dangerous ?
memories are considered dangerous by the community's leaders because they hold the potential to disrupt the carefully maintained order and control within the society.
The broadcase in the community are used to announce information, reinforce society. The authorities shape the collectionne consciousness of the community
The broadcast permeate in every citizens life, even when a child gets hurt. They talk to the broadcast in their house the ask for medicine. This means that they will be keep watch on the center and control by the elder.
How do the broadcast and color in the background of this community help to keep things perfect?
The broadcast reinforce makes sure the sameness of the community. By disseminating messages that need citizens to obey and discourage individuality.
The broadcast permeate in every citizens life, even when a child gets hurt. They talk to the broadcast in their house the ask for medicine. It means that everyone was supervised in their daily life, therefore, the broadcasts ensure everyone remains compliant and obedient to authority.
The absent of vibrant colors in the community represent that the citizens are lack of emotion, and can’t develop their own personalities as well as can’t express themselves or standing out from others. And the lack of color creat a sameness and homogenous society, represent the community is highly controlled.
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