The Giver by Lois Lowry has long been regarded as a staple in classic literature. Set in a dictionary idyllic town where everything is carefully controlled, the story follows a boy named Jonas as he navigates his new “assignment” or role that was given to him when he turned twelve. As the receiver of memory, the one that holds all the earlier memories to life in the town, Jonas begins to question the town's government and source of “perfect.” He realizes the importance of the line between yourself and society, as well as the lack of personal choice installed into the town that he lives in. Lois Lowry’s compelling novel delves deeper into more complex themes of individuality, choice, and the control the government has on society.
Some parts of life are controlled by us humans ourselves. The other parts are something that we can’t control. But that other part can be naturally uncontrollable, such as how fast the other cars on the highway are driving and whether your chances of an accident increases or decreases, or unnaturally uncontrollable, when it is dictated by a third-party that has no say in the matter. “It was a secret selection, made by the leaders of the community” (Lowry, ch. 2). In Jonas’s community, the community members’ jobs are based on selections made from community leaders. The kids don’t get to choose what they end up with. Though this is a good thing, because the kids are likely matched with a career they are interested in, the lack of personal choice throughout the matter is unnerving. The system strives to conform everyone into perfect beings leading perfect lives, not caring about their own personality, decisions, or anything that marks them apart from the rest of the community members. They are not recognized by the members of the community as individuals, but instead seen together as a whole group.
It’s a dilemma in life that we can’t always see the outcome of anything we do, so the question arises of whether we should take the risk and decide to let others do the work for us. Oftentimes, when we make the decision, it’s either a win or lose concept; we either gain something or lose something. And we are forced to credit ourselves with the results. With someone else, however, we can’t take credit for what happens, but we often blame the other person for doing something we asked them to do. Imagine choosing from 2 unfamiliar dishes: You can choose to eat either one yourself and either find something very tasty or disgusting, or ask someone to pick for you. The result will still be tasty or disgusting, but we will blame the other person if it’s disgusting and thank them profusely if it’s tasty. “In school, at recreation time, and during volunteer hours, he had noticed the Elders watching him and the other Elevens.” (Lowry, ch. 2). Jonas and his other friends get their jobs based on someone else deciding for them, and it is a rare case where pretty much everyone is satisfied with what happens. This ensures efficiency, but also removes the personal agency. In life, we can either choose what we become, or conform into the role that has been laid out for us. The decision of which is better is up to each individual.
Though Jonas tries really hard to shy away from the over-controlling atmosphere of the community and embrace a more free sense of life by escaping into a neighboring community, readers slowly come to the understanding that no matter how hard you try, some things are just meant to be. “"Good changes, though," his mother pointed out.” (Lowry, ch. 2). In this quote, Jonas’s mother is trying to convince Jonas that the changes that will occur in his life will be good for him. Due to his assignment, that may be true. He may be introduced to many more people, and find a place of solace where others share the same interests he does. However, in other aspects of life, that can be both right and wrong. In life, there will always be things you can’t control, such as what occurred in history. In Jonas’s community, there is only one person that has memories. In world society, the government covers up scandals that make them look bad. Just like in the real world, Jonas’s community already have established thick boundaries that are almost impossible to penetrate, like how no matter how hard us citizens try, we will always be held back by the confines of social morals and the law in what we do.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is a really well-written novel that explores the many facades of individuality and the impact society has on a person’s life path and choices they make. Just from chapter 2 of the story, we are able to pull out multiple themes. We see the lack of personal choice in both life and fiction, the difficulty of external influences vs. personal choice as well as the emotional impact of making decisions, and the real-world parallels where citizens are always confined within certain lines unless you are the king, making the rules. Jonas’s community is the perfect example of a dystopian utopia, being presented in a way in which the readers are lured into a false sense of security about the “perfectness” of the society and then getting revealed to be a corrupted community that gives its citizens absolutely no personal agency. The conformity of the novel is something real societies can learn from, having shown to be harmful in history already. The Giver really is a deep, complex novel that explores the many morals of life.
Reference:
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. The Giver - Text.pdf - Google Drive
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