The Giver Reading Response

Esrat F. Islam 803

The Giver

Dec 18, 2014


           The Giver by Lois Lowry is about Jonas, a gifted and remarkable boy who receives special training to become the next Receiver. Jonas's world always seem perfect, but Jonas slowly learns the world was not always like this. In this book, there are many unfairness and it always had to do with the rules. So are they trying to make a world perfect with no color at all?  What is going on in Jonas's world; it is full of unfairness.Will Jonas find out what is different about this world.

     One reason that that Jonas's world might be unfair is because pilots or airplanes are not allowed to travel their. It does not even exist. What world exists without airplanes. Jonas never saw one but the way he explains it as if he knows as written, "He had never seen aircraft so close for it was against the rules for Pilots to fly over the community." Pilots don't even exist. How is that possible? Jonas's community has no aircrafts which means no military. Also no other types of transportation besides bicycles. So they travel with bikes, with no cars or other transportations existing. What world does Jonas live in? How can they not exist. Another thing that is surprising is killing off somebody because they can't stay come, in Jonas's world include babies as written but not yet determined, "We have him in the extra care section for supplementary nurturing but the committes beginning to talk about releasing him." This does not sound  like a fair government. Killing an innocent baby is what they called a safe place. That is truly wrong. What government are they ruling? A regular government would never kill a baby in reality, but compared to the book, it is different in Jonas's community. They rule differently. The final unfairness noticeable is the number of kids allowed in a house, as written, "Two children-one male, one female-to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules." So the number of kids is also limited. Are they afraid of overpopulation or something? What so scary about more people? Something is definitely going on. Why build this community with unfair rules. It does not make sense. The way that the people are spilt as if they are groups instead of real life family. Jonas's world is definitely nothing like Earth. I don't think they even know what Earth is. However it is impossible to have one male and one female unless the kids are not even theirs. This world is definitely unknown.

         If I was living in that world, I would probably kill myself. Wait, I can't even do that because weapons don't exist. They probably don't know what weapons are. This community is very naive and can't accept the ruthless and torture of people so they keep people absentminded for the rest of their lives. No clue of what the world really looks and give all this burden to one person. Now Jonas is chosen to store that burden the rest of his lives until the next Receiver. For that long Jonas has to suffer. I would not live in a place like this. Never, and not know what the world really looks like. I do not want to live in a world full of lies, where everything is controlled. I want to be free. Connecting to reality I believe not all world are like this. Something is definitely different. My world is balanced with unfairness and fairness, but Jonas's world is full of unfairness disguised as fairness and full of lies. The rules are strict and it can't be changed. What is Jonas planning to do?