Our world is like a huge melting pot, full of different countries, ethnicities, religions, personalities, climates. Take that all away. What is planet Earth left with? Jonas' world, which is a colourless mass of land, inhabited by people with the same colourless complexion, and blank, emotionless face. The Community.
Based on my observations up to chapter 12 of the novel,
The Giver by Lois Lowry, I have concluded that the society in which the protagonist, Jonas lives is not "nice" world, so to speak rather a dystopia, where people of the Community do not know anything of their world's past, have no say in multiple aspects, and are "released" when they become too old or as babies are not developing as fast as peers. There are no deaths caused by old age.
First and foremost, in our world, one can grow up wanting to be a doctor more than anything. They can pursue that dream if they are focused. In Jonas' world, it does not exactly work that way. Almost the exact opposite, in fact! Based on a child's twelve years of behaviour, actions, they are assigned a role.
Although this might seem like exemplary organisation on the Community's part, there are certain jobs that are empty, lonely,
devastating. For example, Birthmother. A woman that gives birth to a new child, only to give it away. On page 21, Jonas' little sister, Lily, says
"I think newchildren are so cute!" Lily sighed. "I hope I get assigned to be a Birthmother."
"Lily!" Mother spoke very sharply. "Don't say that. There's very little honour in that Assignment." Living in Jonas' Community would be utterly..
grim. Our society's children grow up with dreams of what they might be in the future. It is a given that children pursue their dreams in college or university. However in the Community, children have no choice. At the age of Twelve, they are
assigned a job. Imagine having no choice. That is what children growing up in that world think.
Moreover, the people of the Community live in a world without colour, without varying climate. The worst part about this is the fact that the people purely
do not know what colour or climate is! I would not be able to picture what our world would be like, is everything were the same. The same questions filled my head;
How? Why! On page 94, is reads:
"It happened," Jonas said. "It happened in the books, but it went away again."
"I'm right, then," the Giver said. "You're begging to see the colour red.
"The what?" This models just how sheltered the people of the Community are. Imagine not being able to have a choice of something as simple as an outfit, or no choice of paint for your house. Imagine having so sunshine to play ball in or similarly, no snow to ski or snowboard or sled in. This is what life in the Community would be like.
Furthermore, the strictness of the vocabulary. When I am with peers, we speak over each other, and nobody thinks anything more of it, just the fact that we were talking over each other. For example, the book reads: "She peddled forward silently, and he knew that she expected him to tell her why. She expected him to describe his first day of training. But to ask would have fallen into the
category of rudeness," on page 90. One should have the pure
right to speak their minds, not have to apologise for asking something simple as a
question! There are many people that do not have the right to speak their minds, depending on their circumstances. It is unfair. Everyone deserves the right to exercise votes or ideas. Everyone should have freedom of speech. Imagine having to apologise every time you accidentally spoke at the same time as a peer.
These reasons are just part of the reason why the novel
The Giver, by Lois Lowry is an obvious dystopia. Primarily, the devastating jobs that one could be assigned to. Second, the
Sameness, the depressing, lonely Sameness. Thirdly and finally, the strictness of vocabulary. Ask yourself; "
Now would I live in the community?"
