It’s 7:18 am as I walk into my classroom. I open the blinds to let the rising sun’s rays shine into the learning space. I hear my colleague’s decades-old music lilting from across the hallway. A few of my students stroll in, dropping their brightly decorated backpacks near their desks, and walk out again to socialize or get breakfast in the commons. I know that parents on their way to work drop off some students, others take the bus, and still others ride their bikes or walk to school. And, I know that some will inevitably be late; it never fails with high school students to not quite be able to get up on time for class. Soon, the warning bell rings to start the school day.
Although I often am frustrated with how my life is regulated by bells for seven hours of my workday, it in no way compares to the “utopian” world that Lois Lowry has created in her novel, The Giver. It is a world where people do not see color, have never heard music, and have to apologize to an entire roomful of people if they are even a few seconds late. It is a world where no one has experienced pain, but has also never experienced love. It is a world where decisions are made for everyone, to prevent any wrong decisions from being made.
Since I did read The Giver when I was in middle school, I did have a working memory of what the book was about. However, I appreciated the chance to revisit this great piece of adolescent literature! It gave me the opportunity to really recognize Lowry’s use of foreshadowing and irony to critique the community that Jonas, the protagonist, grows up in. Early on, the idea of “Release” is mentioned as an embarrassing, horrible punishment except for the newborn and elderly. “Release of newchildren was always sad, because they hadn’t had a chance to enjoy life within the community yet. And they hadn’t done anything wrong” (7). I’m sure that the first time I read this book, I also was just sympathetic for the newchildren. However, since I knew how the story ends, and since I’m an older, wiser reader, I understood this statement as ironic. No one is really enjoying life; they just don’t know it because they don’t have the memories that truly are joyful. For example, they laugh at the idea of animals really existing. I cannot count the times that animals have made me smile: caring for a pet and seeing it reciprocate love and loyalty; taking trips to the zoo with children I’ve babysat; and seeing wildlife on family camping vacations.
Even though I am critical of this “perfect” world, I do wonder what it would be like to not have to experience pain. There is too much pain in the world, and much of it is undeserved and unsolvable. I wouldn’t want to live in a world that had to give up love, color, music, Christmas, and family, in order to achieve a pain-free world, but the thought is intriguing. Especially when I see people I care about get hurt. It’s hard to imagine, but at the same time, it’s interesting to contemplate. Lowry does a wonderful job exploring this very big “What If…” question, I think.
Upon reading "The Giver", the idea of release was frightening and maddening to me. I'm not sure if it was the emotional investment I had in Jonas or the fascination with Sameness, but I found myself distraught at learning what I already knew to be true - release = death.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I loathe the pain I've experienced in my life, I also value it above most things. Without pain, there can be no pleasure. Contentment exists in direct contrast to pain and dis-ease. Every once in a while though, let me tell you... I'd do just about anything just to have a day off from emotion.
I'm fascinated by how you read the ending of the book. I need to be an optimist more often. I felt distressed when I finished but accepted the fact that I'd never know what happened to Jonas and Gabriel. Sometimes it's better not to know.
What we do know by the end of the book is that Jonas and Gabe have escaped. Whatever happens outside the community's walls, well, THAT's really living. Jonas has given Gabriel the opportunity to experience something besides Sameness, something besides black and white and safe and dull. Sure, Jonas has next-to-no "survival" capabilities, if that is needed. I feel, though, that even if they met an unfortunate end, it still would have been worth it for the morsel of reality and beauty they experienced. Ask yourself: would you have left?
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