Imagine a world where your every move is monitored by cameras in your home, at school, in the cafeteria, and that everything you say will be recorded. Imagine not being able to feel emotions or feelings. You would have no memory of your past and you wouldn’t be able to see colour. The Giver is a novel by Lois Lowry that revolves around the character Jonas, an eleven-year old boy living in a controlled community where all emotions, pain, and fear have been eliminated. The couples who want children must apply. The Elders assign everyone a role within the community and all children, including Jonas, must attend the “Ceremony of Twelves” at twelve years old. The Elders then assign jobs to each 12 year old based upon their talents and interests. Jonas has been selected to receive memories. The Elders tell him that the job is physically painful. Jonas receives training from The Giver, a very elderly man who has the collective memories. Jonas is also taught memories related to colours by The Giver, as Jonas has no ability to see colors. Other memories include those of betrayal, sadness, happiness and pain. The memories are gone once Jonas receives them from The Giver. Jonas has been forbidden from telling anyone about his training. This includes his family. The word release is often used in the book to mean injecting a liquid into someone’s body. Jonas was so upset when he saw his father kill a child without him knowing it. He then made a plan to share the memories of happiness, pain and the ability to see colors with the community. They have the right to know about their feelings and freedom. In this essay, I will discuss the importance and value of memory, courage, and building a strong relationship with the family/mentor in The Giver.
It is difficult to remember colors if you do not have the memory to refer to them. In The Provider, Jonas’s inability to remember emotions and feelings makes him consider the kind of society he is living in. Jonas is also aware that his life will be dull and boring without color. He won’t even be able to recognize Fiona. He also realizes, not only that he doesn’t have the ability to see color but that he has to rely upon The Giver for him to remember what colors are. He is a regular at his training classes where he encounters the Giver. One time, Jonas stated that he could see something and it would disappear.
The Giver told the children:
Jonas responded, “The What?”
The Giver’s signature. “How do you explain that? “Once, in the past, when memories were fresh, things had shapes and sizes, just as they do today, but also a quantity known as colour”.
This quote shows how they were living in an environment without diversity. Everyone has no feelings and memories. The author wants to impress upon its readers the importance of memory and how without it, you wouldn’t be able to feel emotions or feelings. Quotes from this chapter help readers to better understand feelings, such as “When memories are received, the reader has the ability to look beyond”. Then you’ll gain joy and wisdom, as well as colours and much more. This quote helps you to understand feelings and emotions. It shows the power of memories, which can go beyond the present and express happiness when they are happy. It can also show different emotions depending on the memory. In conclusion, memories can be important. They may teach you valuable lessons in life, which will allow you to make more informed decisions. Jonas wouldn’t know what pain feels like if The Giver wasn’t there. Lois Lowry uses the quote “The worst thing about holding memories isn’t the pain.” The loneliness is the worst part. Memories must be shared. The quote above proves to the reader that they will understand emotions and feelings if memories aren’t shared. The Giver told him that some memories can be warm and joyful. Jonas may not be able to recall the name of this holiday, but the warmth it brings him is unforgettable. He also discovers that the House of the Old does not treat old people with disrespect and that Jonas has no idea who his grandparents are.
Jonas inquired, “What do you remember most fondly?”
The Giver grinned. The Giver smiled.
Jonas could feel the happiness as soon a memory started. He was in the middle of a warm room with people. He could see through a window that there were colored lights: yellow, green, and red.
The Giver then asked “What perception did you have?”
Jonas replied: “Warmth makes me happy and brings to mind my family.”
Lois Lowry’s quote demonstrates that the reader understands some emotions by describing what family, happiness and warmth are.
Jonas’s character is defined by his great qualities. This helps readers understand his character. Lois demonstrates many great qualities about him in the book. She shows caring, responsibility, honesty, and not taking things back. Jonas accepts all challenges and does not give up. He even asks the Giver for his painful memories. Jonas said, “When I see The Giver in pain, it’s like he is trying to understand my feelings and emotions.”
‘But Giver, I’ve never suffered. Jonas laughed. I remember how you burned me the first time. It wasn’t that bad. What makes you so miserable? Your pain might lessen if I shared it with you.
The quote shows readers that they have an understanding and knowledge of emotions. It shows how Jonas feels bad for Thegiver because he’s been carrying painful memories around for years. The Giver plans to have Jonas run away from the community to share these memories, but he brings Gabe because he was told that Gabe had been released as a result of not meeting the standards set by society. Jonas is able to leave the community because of Gabriel and The Provider. Without them, he would be too scared and wouldn’t do it. Jonas realizes that if Gabe is caught with him, they’ll both die. Yet he continues to do it because he wants to save other lives. His journey will be exhausting and cause him to starve. “He looked exhausted. He knew it was time to go to bed and rest his muscles, preparing him for the next few hours of riding a bicycle. “It would be unsafe to travel during daylight”. This quote is a way of saying that Jonas must care for himself in order to keep Gabe safe without being caught. That shows emotion, since it shows the amount Jonas cares about Gabe. Jonas shows Gabe his caring by transferring the memory of a windy day to calm him down and keep him from panking. Before he left, he had placed his hands firmly against Gabe’s neck and transferred to him the most calming memory he was able to: a swinging hammock in the palm trees. This quote gives the reader a deeper understanding of feelings because it implies that Jonas will do anything to make Gabe comfortable and safe.
In order to better understand emotions and feelings, characters need to establish a strong relationship. Lois Lowry pushed Jonas to establish close relationships throughout the entire book with Thegiver, Gabe, and his family. The Giver, or Jonas’ mentor, has a very different relationship than any of his other relationships. His relationship with The Giver, is much more open-minded due to the rules that Jonas learned from his training manual. One of Jonas’s rules was to “be exempted for rudeness from this moment on”. You can ask any question to any citizen, and you’ll get an answer. It is clear from this quote that Jonas can ask any question and his relationship with The Provider is more open-minded. This quote is more open-minded because Jonas needs to follow certain rules in order to find out anything. He does not just answer his questions; he also explains and guides him. The Giver answered Jonas’ question about what the word “release” meant by showing him video footage of a dying baby being injected by the father who was the nurturer. The Giver comforted Jonas after he started crying, shouting, and pounding his bed with a fist. You have something to say to me. But you have to keep quiet, as I call your family. This quote proves Jonas’ relationship with the Giver. He is willing to communicate and let Jonas share his emotions towards the release of an infant child. It shows that the Giver has a deep understanding of emotions, as Jonas’s heart is broken and he tries to calm Jonas down while also showing him care. Jonas not only had a great relationship with Thegiver, but also with Gariel. The Giver instructs Jonas on how to love. Jonas also learns from Thegiver to comfort Gabriel with positive memories. Jonas indirectly learns to be less selfish by sharing memories with Gabe. Jonas shares memories like the cool breezes that blow across the lakes, or the snow. “He wasn’t aware that he gave the memory. However, suddenly he realized it was getting darker and was sliding out of his hands. Jonas is not afraid to continue transferring memories even when Gabe begins crying at night. By transferring his memories, Jonas shows the reader that he doesn’t really care about them disappearing. He knows he won’t be able retrieve the memories once he shares them. This quote teaches the reader to be less selfish and more caring. Jonas also establishes an intimate relationship with both his parents. Jonas now trusts and loves his parents even more, but he no longer participates in their daily routines like dream telling. His training has prevented him. In his book, it stated that “You are forbidden from dream-telling as of this moment”. Jonas can feel sad when he feels that he has lost their friendship. Jonas, in the evening following The Giver’s Christmas memory gift to him, bravely asks whether his parents love him. Jonas said, “Do You Love Me?” There was a awkward silence. Father laughed. “Jonas!” You are the most unlikely person. This quote shows that they laughed and told him to be precise with his language. It was against community rules. The quote shows that Jonas is sad that his parents are unaware of the meaning of love. This helps readers understand feelings and emotions because it describes the sadness of his parents not knowing what love means. He is always supported by his parents and they help him through puberty and when he struggles. His parents would not have been able to tell him what kind of dreams were coming. The stirrings were the other word for it. “When his mother finally sat beside him, you felt the stirrings. Everyone goes through puberty. It happens to everyone”.
Readers will gain a deeper understanding of feelings and emotions by learning the importance of memory and having positive traits like bravery. Jonas learns to value memory, and he realizes how boring his life can be without color. Not only does he understand colour, but also the different feelings that each memory evokes. It is true that some memories can cause discomfort, pain and joy. But the important thing to remember is that without memories we cannot feel emotions or feelings. It’s important to have good traits of character because they help define who we truly are. This helps readers understand Jonas better. Jonas displays bravery by not backing down when faced with a challenge. He asks to be told more about painful memories when he observes The Giver in pain. Relationships with family members and with Thegiver are crucial to understanding his emotions. Without these relationships, he likely would not have understood what stirrings meant.
Works Cited
The answer is the same.
Lois Lowry The Giver Dell Laurel leaf, 2002.
