Literature Circle Response Two

Chapters 16-18 in the book The Giver by Lois Lowry have to do with freedom. In Jonas's world, as I've said in my last blogpost, is controlled. The people in his community have no control over their life. They don't get to choose what job they get. Their jobs are chosen by the people of their government who observe each person and give them a job based on their personality. There are no colors, no music, no hills and nothing that could cause conflict.

These chapters have to do with freedom because Jonas learns about love. He confessed that he liked the feeling of love. He discusses love with the Giver and when he gets home, he asks, " 'Do you love me?' " (127) and his father says that he shouldn't use that word. He said that love was equivalent to a swear word. Then, when Jonas was tucking Gabe in for bed, he shares secrets and talks about love with Gabe,
" 'Things could change, Gabe,' Jonas went on. 'Things could be different. I don't know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors.
'And grandparents,' he added, staring through the dimness toward the ceiling of his sleepingroom. 'And everybody would have the memories.
'You know about the memories,' he whispered, turning toward the crib.
Gabriel's breathing was even and deep. Jonas liked having him there, though he felt guilty about the secret. Each night he gave memories to Gabriel: memories of boat rides and picnics in the sun' memories of soft rainfall against windowpanes' memories of dancing barefoot on a damp lawn.
'Gabe?'
The newchild stirred slightly in his sleep. Jonas looked over at him.
'There could be love,' Jonas whispered. " (128-129)

This quote from the book shows that Jonas wants freedom. He tells Gabe that he wants change. He wants there to be love. He wants there to be grandparents to comfort him.

This book talks a lot about freedom in general because of the way that most people can't see color. Only the gifted ones like Jonas, the Giver and Gabriel. There are many things different between our world and theirs. People think they have emotions but they really have no idea what emotions are. They would get upset about things that are unimportant. Children are grouped by age. For example, Eights, nines, twelves. The eights would get to start doing volunteer work. Then, when they become twelves, they get to receive their job. As you can probably tell by now, our world, in ways, is better than theirs. Their world could be better because there are no conflicts or bad happening but it is very boring.

The Giver - Literature Circle Post One

In class, we've received a new lit circle book. I am reading The Giver. In the book The Giver, peoples' lives are controlled for them. They get assigned jobs once they are 12. They call each other by age groups. For example, "eights, nines, elevens" instead of saying "second grader, eighth grader" etc. They also have adopted children. They come from Birthmothers and the baby gets sent to a care center and another family takes them. Each family is only allowed to have one girl and one boy.

We have to answer a question out of:
1. Would you want your future to be decided by others ? Why or Why not?
2. How do you feel about the "standard practices" and "rituals" in the community?
3. Why is interdependence fostered in the community?

I chose to do number 2: How do you feel about the "standard practices" and "rituals" in the community?

I think that if I lived in that type of community, it would be awfully boring. The people in The Giver wouldn't know the difference because they have never lived a life where they get to control their own actions. In Jonas's case, he's turning 12 and they are about to give him and 'assignment', meaning he's about to get a job. In the real world that we live in, we would choose our own job and get interviewed. But in The Giver, people observe you and give you your 'assignment' based on your personalities and your interests. I would also really hate to live in that type of community because you can't quit your job if you don't enjoy it. I would want to have my own opinion. Also, since the children don't get to stay with their biological mothers, I feel that they don't get the real experience of motherly love. I find it strange that people aren't allowed to get bicycles until they're nine years old because I know I would have wanted to ride a bike before then. I think that if the whole world were like The Giver, life would be much easier with no war, but then you would have wasted so many lives because they never got to live their life properly because they were being trapped and controlled and not spending their life with freedom and fun.