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more than just your average fourteen year old.this blog is solely for my reflections on the award-winning literature book, 'the giver'

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As I have mentioned above, certain laws and ideals have been set in place in Jonas's community so as to help them achieve their objective. I will now expand on a few of them.

Firstly, the giving of Assignements based on apitude, not preference.
In the community, the Elders survey the Twelves extremely carefully, so as to be able to figure out each and every child's strength and weaknesses. They then give Assignments based on these strengths, so as to ensure that the community would bloom and flourish as each job would be done spectacularly well. From this, we can see that the community is a very pragmatic one. It focuses on using each child's strength so that the community would benefit and be able to reach its fullest potential, through the different jobs and roles that the people take on.

The same basis of this ideal can also be seen in our lives. Instead of being an 'aptitude versus preference' situation, the situation that is displayed in our lives would be the ever so common 'passion versus money' or perhaps something more relatable- the 'passion versus studies'situation. Many have been faced with the problem of having to decide which to choose between the two. For adults: Should they pursue a career which they have passion for? Or take a 'safer' route and pursue one where they would definitely receive a stable income? For students like you and me : Should we pursue something that we feel passionate about, like art or dance? Or should we pursue something that would definitely ensure that we get a stable grade, like science subjects?
You see, we are often stuck when faced with tough decisions like this. To take the road less travelled and either excell in it, or fail miserably, or to take the road that has been trodden on, and would lead to a certain amount of success, but look back with regret?
What I am trying to convey can be clearly seen in one of my favourite poems- The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.

The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Sadly, most people have chosen to take the 'safer' route. They decide to take something that is less risky, less dangerous. And the most important reason?
'It is more practical.'
I have witnessed these situations before, and I have to admit, that they are hard choices.
Also, Singaporeans are very pragmatic and with the costs of living stadily increasing in Singapore, people would more often than not, opt for a more practical choice, one where there is a guaranteed outcome.
Thus, the same idea of being pragmatic can be seen in our lives, and The Giver.

Next, precision of language.
Precision of language is widely seen in The Giver. The people have all been trained to use specifics and never to be vague when asking a question. An instance where this is clearly displayed would be the scene of Jonas asking his parents if they loved him.

"Do you love me?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You of all people. Precision of language, please!"
"What do you mean?" Jonas asked. Amusement was not at all what he had anticipated.
"Your father means that you used a very generalized word, so meaningless that it's become almost obsolete," his mother explained carefully.
Jonas stared at them. Meaningless? He has never before felt anything as meaningful as the memory.
"And of course our community can't function smoothly if people don't use precise language. You could ask, 'Do you enjoy me?' The answer is 'Yes,'" his mother said.
"Or," his father suggested," 'Do you take pride in my accomplishments?' And the answer is wholeheartedly 'Yes.'"
"Do you understand why it's inappropriate to use a word like 'love'?" Mother asked.
Jonas nodded. "Yes, thank you, I do," he replied slowly.
It was his first lie to his parents.

In this extract, it can be seen that the community places great emphasis on precision of language. Although this may seem as a good thing, ideas of love and emotions have been made so specific such that the idea of love no longer exists in the community.
Similarly, in today's society, there is some emphasis on being specific( although not to such an extent, as seen in The Giver), and the idea of love has certainly been lost through all the hustle and bustle of our lives. We may not have lost the idea through being so specific like in the novel, but we have lost it through being preoccupied with what we have on our plate, as well as the improvement of science and technological know-hows, that leave us with less time to spend with our familys, since most of it are spent on the internet, latest gadgets and so on. Also, with the advancement in technology, texting is more convenient and hence many of us text our friends and family members instead of visiting them, or even calling them.

Lastly, Sameness. Sameness is shown very obviously in the novel, as well as in our lives. Perhaps we do not have a standard apology phrase, or have the implementations of a fixed family unit, but we do have the idea of Sameness, the idea of uniformity. A very relatable example would be that of school(:
In school, everyone has to meet certain discipline standards and also has to don the same school uniform. By wearing the same attire, it ensures that there is uniformity in our appearance, something similar to Sameness.

Due to trying to make things perfect, or to simply be perfect, we have neglected certain things and even overlooked certain elements that are crucial in one's development- family, love and so on. The community has also neglected and overlooked elements like this, and due to not having certain things like choices, emotions, memories... It has resulted in the people of Jonas's community becoming robotic, one dimensional characters(as mentioned in earlier post). They therefore have lacking qualities, or lack of experience or knowlege in certain areas.

All in all, I feel that the strive for perfection in The Giver is evidently shown in our lives, and is hence very relatable and real. Thus, I would like to conclude by asking you- a reader, to reflect on how much time you have spent with your family and friends, or perhaps just simply away from constantly trying to meet standards you have set for yourself.
Maybe it is time to take a break, and step out of that small space you have confined yourself to- your working area. Go out, and appreciate the finer things in life!
(:

love,
sarah(: back to top? 0 comments

Below is a short extract from The Giver, page 98-99

"But now that I can see colours, at least sometimes, I was just thinking: what if we could hold up things that were bright red, or bright yellow, and he could choose? Instead of the Sameness."
"He might make wrong choices"
"Oh." Jonas was silent for a minute. "Oh, I see what you mean. It wouldn't matter for a newchild's toy. But later it does matter, doesn't it? We don't dare to let people make choices of their own."
"Not safe? The Giver suggested.
"Definitely not safe," Jonas said with certainty."What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And chose wrong?
"Or what if," he went on, almost laughing at the absurdity,"they choose their own jobs?"
"Frightening, isn't it?"The Giver said.
Jonas chuckled. "Very frightening. I can't even imagine it. We really have to protect people from wrong choices."
"It's safer."
"Yes,"Jonas agreed."Much safer."

In this extract, the theme of choice is displayed very clearly.

As we have discovered fairly early on in the novel, the people of Jonas's community have no freedom of choice. No one is allowed to choose- a part of Sameness. Everyone says the standard apology phrase, takes pills to control Stirrings, and is allocated spouses to form a fixed family unit- two parents, a son and a daughter. Basically, everyone follows the stated rules that are set in place to ensure uniformity as well as to achieve the idea of 'perfection' in the community. Even the Assignments and jobs of the people are chosen by the Elders, based on one's aptitude, not preference.

As the people of the community have never been exposed to being able to independently choose what they want, the idea of choice seems very absurd and dangerous.

Take the above extract as an example:

"But now that I can see colours, at least sometimes, I was just thinking: what if we could hold up things that were bright red, or bright yellow, and he could choose? Instead of the Sameness."
"He might make wrong choices"
"Oh." Jonas was silent for a minute. "Oh, I see what you mean. It wouldn't matter for a newchild's toy. But later it does matter, doesn't it? We don't dare to let people make choices of their own."
"Not safe? The Giver suggested.
"Definitely not safe," Jonas said with certainty."What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And chose wrong?
"Or what if," he went on, almost laughing at the absurdity,"they choose their own jobs?"
"Frightening, isn't it?"The Giver said.
Jonas chuckled. "Very frightening. I can't even imagine it. We really have to protect people from wrong choices."
"It's safer."
"Yes,"Jonas agreed."Much safer."

As you can see, I have changed the colour of certain words or phrases in the above extract (those in red) that show how alien the idea of choice is to the community.

Having the freedom of choice was considered 'not safe' and hence the Elders '[didn't] dare to let people make choices of their own'- it was considered dangerous and risky.

Jonas had 'almost [laughed] at the absurdity,"they choose their own jobs?" ' and even deemed it being 'very frightening', not being able to 'imagine it'.

That was one thing that really caught my attention, even from the beginning. Something that is so normal and common to us was something that was so foreign, so scary and mortifying to the community that people were frightened of the idea of choosing our own jobs? It seemed extremely unfair. The community had brainwashed its people into thinking that making choices- something that we face in our everyday lives- was bad?'

'How could that be?'

The community had done so much, so much to achieve so-called 'perfection', that something so humane, something so real was forsaken? Like memories and colours, choice was equally important.

'Are they mad? They must be, simply delusional'
The voice in my head spoke again.
Those were the exact words I thought- to myself of course.
It was simply unimaginable. A world without choice?
A world so devoid and deprived of choice such that it was unimaginable, bad, unfathomable?Impossible.

It was at that very moment, that a wave of sadness washed over me.

Fictional or not, I had practically everything-as compared to the characters in the novel.

Freedom of speech, choice, individuality.

The ability to see colour.

I had everything, and they had nothing.

Nothing at all.

To create a 'perfect' world, the scientists chose to create a world where all the people led painless, emotionless lives.

'Robots', the voice chirped again.
'Ugh,' I wished the voice would stop, but I knew that it would not. Why? It simply could not. How could I ignore the voice? The voice was telling the truth- the undeniable truth.
These people were no different from robots.
Mechanical.
It almost seemed to me that they led their lives because they were supposed to,
they ate- because it was mealtime
they slept- because it was bedtime
they went to school, studied, grew up, received Assignments and later assumed their roles in the community- because that was how life was supposed to be.
And finally, they were released- because it was time.
Throughout their entire life, they were not given any choice.
I answered my own question in the first blog post.
'What are they living for?'
The answer was simple.
'Nothing.
'Their lives were flat, meaningless.
They were one-dimensional characters.

This extract truly shows the lack of freedom of choice through a simple incident, about a common everyday issue- choice.

Choice has been one thing that everybody faces.
Some were simple, perhaps the flavour of ice cream- chocolate or vanilla?
Others were more complex- Which answer to put?
And some, were life- altering decisions- Which secondary school to go to?
With every choice, you move forward in life, but let me assure you- your path is never straight.
You bear the consequences of your choices.
It is because of these choices that we make, that determine where we go, and how we go on in the future.
Thus, maybe we often whine about having to make choices, but do remember:
These choices are like memories( refer to the earlier post).
If it is a bad choice, you learn from it and make sure you never commit the same mistake.
If it is a good one, you gain new knowledge out of it.

This extract is one that evokes true emotion out of me- pity, sadness and even happiness. Realising that you have the ability to make choices is a great feeling. Perhaps the characters in the novel have led easier lives, not needing to make choices. However, making choices ensure that you do not become a flat character.

You determine where you go on in life,so make wise choices.
Appreciate the ability to make choices,and treasure them.
I know I have.

love,sarah(: back to top? 1 comments

Memories

(Grace E. Easley)

Memories are heartbeats
Sounding through the years
Echoes never fading
Of our smiles and our tears.
Moments that are captured
Sometimes unaware
Pictured in an album
Or a lock of hair.

Images that linger
Deep within the mind
Bit of verse we cherished
Once upon a time.
Through the musty hallways
Of the days we knew
Ever comes the vision
Beautiful and true.

Memories are roses
Blooming evermore
Full of fragrant sweetness
Never known before.
Life must have a meaning
Goals for which to strive
Memories are lights that burn
To keep the heart alive.

In the poem, the author talks about the importance of memories in one's life.

In the first stanza, she uses the metaphor of memories being 'heartbeats'. One's heart beats when the heart pumps blood around the body, and the blood carries the oxygen,carbon dioxide and other materials that we need for our bodies to function. Hence- the 'heartbeats' show the importance and significance of memories, like how without the heart pumping, there woud be no heartbeats, and without the pumping of the heart, everything else would cease to function. Also, she states that 'sounding through the years, echoes never fading'. This shows how loud and clear these memories are. Like 'heartbeats' that sound through 'years', they 'never [fade]'. From this, it can be seen that memories are permanent, lasting for years.

She later uses another metaphor, 'memories are roses, blooming evermore', and even states that it is "full of fragrant sweetness". Memories are sweet, and are just like a rose that blooms,memories can be compared to the beautiful sight of a flower in bloom- memories are beautiful and well-received.

Lastly, she states that ' memories are lights that burn to keep the heart alive'. This emphasizes the importance of memories, as they are compared to being 'lights that burn' that 'keep the heart alive'. As we all know, the heart is the most crucial organ in our bodies, and for something to be keeping it 'alive', it plays a very important role- one that ensures that the heart continues to function.

Thus, it can be seen from the different metaphors used that memories are so important and significant in one's life. Not only is this poem relatable to each and every one of us, but it can also be related to The Giver.

Personally, I have never appreciated having memories till I read The Giver. This was as as much joy and laughter good memories brought us- like fun times with friends and family, or simply an incident that made you feel loved, remembering horrible things that have happened will also bring us grief, and perhaps pain. For example, the death of a family member that brings back the feeling of sadness, or even the feeling of injections, scraped knees and broken arms- these memories will definitely bring back unwanted thoughts and feelings.

However, one thing remains the same: the fact that memories changes people.

A memory would normally be of past events or experiences, and these experiences have moulded us to become who we are today.

It is from these experiences, that we learn new things.

It is from these experiences, that we have new insight to the world.

It is from these experiences, that we learn never to commit the same mistakes.

It is by having these memories, that we can remember the past. Hence, memories play a huge role in our lives, regardless of age, race or religion.

Similarly, in Jonas's community, being the Receiver of Memory, Jonas is required to gain all the memories that the Giver has given to him so that he can assume the role proper, and advice the Elders on certain decisions, so as to ensure that they do not commit the same mistakes as the people in the past did- to ensure the community remains 'perfect'

It was also through these memories that were given to Jonas, that made him see things differently. For instance, when Jonas saw his friends playing a game of war in the novel, it greatly upset him, for he had acquired the knowledge of how war really was like, something that was horrible and painful, not in the least bit fun.

These memories made Jonas more aware of the past and the outside world, Elsewhere. He now knew what snow, colour, music and family was- it gave him new insight to the world.

However, the others in the community that did not have 'pale eyes' were unable to receive the memories that The Giver and Jonas could transmit. Reading The Giver made me realise how important memories are, as one of its themes is the significance of human memory. Without memories, they led the same boring life, continuing with what was required of them , never learnt from their past experiences, and all saw things the same way. It seemed that not having memories was a part of having Sameness in the community- ensuring that everyone has no memories so that everyone would have the same type of mentality and characteristics as no one was moulded or changed by what they learnt from their memories.

The poet wrote what memories were to her in her poem 'Memories', and I feel that it applies to me as well. It was the similarities in our views on memories that led me to choosing this poem, and the way it related to the novel was an added plus.

All in all, I hope that you too see the significance of memories in our lives, and treasure them more.

love,

sarah(: back to top? 0 comments

On the 30th of June, Miss Li played the movie'The Handmaid's Tale' for the class. Before playing the movie, she had given us a worksheet in which we were required to fill in the features of a utopian society as we watched the movie. She also mentioned that after watching the movie, we would really appreciate the world that we are living in. I expected it to be somewhat similar to Jonas's community in The Giver, with sets of rules that everyone must follow, etcetra, and hence did not think too deeply about what it would be like. However, I was in for much more than i had bargained for- it was a provoking, disturbing, darker, more twisted form of The Giver- that now seemed innocent when compared to The Handmaid's Tale.

The movie 'The Handmaid's Tale' is set in the fictional Republic of Gilead, a time where man has been so badly affected by pollution such that in the community only 1 out of hundreds of women are fertile, hence resulting in seperating the fertile women from the infertile ones, and making them become 'Handmaids' in the community, helping couples that are of high status in the community conceive.

Throughout the 3 out of 10 parts of the movie that we watched, I was very disturbed by the ways of life, laws and practices of the republic. The ruling parties brainwash the people of the republic, using the bible unjustly, and 'twist' and 'tweak' the passages so that it supports their practices and ways of life to make it seem correct and justifiable. It irked and disgusted me greatly to see people abusing the bible and changing its original content and meaning, to support their vile practices that are wrong, so to speak.

Another thing that disgusted me was the fact that women and men were not equal. Men had a higher status than women and hence whenever something goes wrong, the women is blamed- even if she had nothing to do with it. For example, there was a scene in the movie where a handmaid was forced to share her experience or memory of being raped. Instead of consoling and comforting her, they were led into chanting words like 'whore' while pointing at her, resulting in her breaking down, and later admitting that it was 'her fault' although she was the victim in the whole situation.

The movie and the novel, The Giver are both set in utopian societies, hence there are both similarities and differences between the two.

SIMILARITIES.
Firstly, the people in both communities are identified by certain means.
For example,
the children of Jonas's community are all identified by their age(eg: being a 'twelve') and by the numbers they had been given at birth( eg: 19).
The form of identification can also be seen in the movie, The Handmaid's Tale.
After the movie's main character, Kate, is captured, she is foorced to go through some sort of 'sorting' with all the other women in the community. This sorting seperated the fertile women from the infertile, and the fertile women were given identification numbers before pushing them into a truck- where they were going to assume their roles as handmaids.

Secondly, roles are given to each and every person- no one is allowed to choose.
In the Giver, the children were given their assignments based on their aptitude. These assignments will eventually be their jobs when they grow up, as well as the roles that they take on in the community. Similarly, jobs and roles are given to the people in the republic. A very obvious example would be that of the role of the Handmaid. Due to the small amount of fertile women left in the republic, all those who are fertile are immediately given the role of the Handmaid, which they are to assume.

Thirdly, the communities are both very rigid and controlling. Punishment is harsh and laws are strict. All who belong in the community are to follow its rules. In The Giver, it was stated that anyone who disobeyed or did something wrong in the community would be punished and be 'released'. Similarly, there was punishment for those who were unwilling to follow the rules. For example, the nuns were hung publicly as they refused to conceive, and when one of the Handmaids did something wrong, she was slashed on her legs.

Lastly, they both strive for perfection.
In both The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale, everyone has to follow a certain protocol or set of rules and laws that were devised so as to creaet a 'perfect' world. Like in The Giver, there was so much stress on precision of language so as to ensure that everything is clearly spelt out and there would not be any miscommunication, and in The Handmaid's Tale, all the rules and laws and roles created were to solve the problems that the republic faced, for example- infertility.
Hence, all the elements that are evident in both utopian societies ultimately lead to helping creaate a so called 'perfect' world, most probably one where the person who created it perceives as being perfect.

Although both The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale are set in utopian societies, there are still differences between them.
For example, in The Giver, the people of the community are unable to see colour, have no 'real' feelings,have memories, and all think that they are leaading the same type of life that everyone else is leading- even in Elsewhere. However, the people in the Republic of Gilead can see colour,have 'real' feelings, have memories of the past and they hence have knowledge of the outside world and are aware that this is not the same kind or type of life that everyone else is leading, in the world. Another difference is that while the people in Jonas's community(in The Giver) are very stringent about the concept of Sameness, the people in the republic are not reduced to Sameness as much as in The Giver. They still have their individuality and as they are required to assume different roles, are hence given different things and rights, or permission. However, we can see that thiss is not the case in The Giver. In The Giver, all children of a certain age can do a certain thing, or recive a certain thing, or have a certain thing taken away from them. Therefore, the people in the Republic of Gilead are still abe to able to somewhat retain their individualtiy to a certain extent.

All things aside, a major point i would like to state here is that while both The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale are set in utopian societies, The Handmaid's Tale is also like a dystopian society, as many dystopian factors came in when the leaders of the republic tried to 'perfect' it more and more.

In conclusion, watching The Handmaid's Tale indeed made me appreciative and thankful that i am living in today's society, nothing at all like the utopian societies in The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale. Maybe some of us might have felt that Miss Li should not have shown the movie, while others agreed with showing the movie, but there is no right or wrong as these are all our own personal thoughts and opinions. I did feel that Miss Li should not have shown us such a thought-provoking and disturbing movie ( sorry Miss Li(: ), but after settling down and after some time, one would realise how real a utopian society can be in this world and really treasure all that one has. This movie has really been an eye-opener, and after much thought, i am really thankful that I had the chance to watch this movie.

So, would i watch this movie again? Maybe.
Now? No.
I would prepare myself for the movie if i were to see it again.
However, right now- I need to prepare for the upcoming tests!

love,
sarah(: back to top? 2 comments

here are several photos that are related to the themes or key events in the novel:

This picture shows many different shades and hues of colours, stemming out from the same place and streaming out in different directions. I chose this picture mainly because of the colours that can be seen in it, which are mainly variations of the seven colours of the rainbow. Colours is an important part of the novel, as only Jonas and the receiver are able to see it. This sets them apart from the rest of the community. Also, it represents change and variation, like how Jonas would soon have a different viewpoint of things with his acquired knowledge, or maybe the huge change that he would face- being distanced from his close friends, Asher and Fiona, or perhaps the journey that he would have to take alone, to Elsewhere.



This is a picture of a heart. It reminded me of a scene in the novel whereby Jonas had experienced the feeling of love through The Giver's memories, and had asked his parents "Do you love me?". Instead of what parents would probably answer in today's society, a simple 'Yes', Jonas's parents talked about how he had generalised the word, and made it 'meaningless'. They said that he should have used more precise terms, such as 'enjoy' or 'take pride in [your] acomplishments', something that would have defined the question more clearly. This was not only a shock for Jonas, since he did not expect such a response from his parents, especially one where they said that it was 'meaningless'. I too felt shocked since there seemed to be no such thing as 'love' in this society, and children could not feel loved by their parents, or vice versa. Love is such a general term in society, but is also the very basis of relationships, and a key thing that one should have.
Also, this reminded me of another detail in the novel , something that is specific to Jonas's community- the precision in language. Flip open the novel to any page. 7 out of 10 chances is that you would flip to a page where there the precision of language and it's importance can be seen in the community. What i had mentioned above, about love, is one. Another example would be the time where Jonas was reprimnaded for using the word 'starving'.
Hence, this simple picture of a heart represents a number of things, leading me to choose it.


The above photo is of a red-yellow pill. This represents the pill that Jonas takes to control his Stirrings, as well as the first time he had experienced Stirrings. Stirrings are the feelings of want and desire that one would start to feel when one is about 12 years old, or so. In his community, it is compulsory for one to take the pill everyday after experiencing Stirrings, through his or her entire life, till the day of release. This pill suppresses the feelings of want and desire throughout the community, making it impossible to have natural, human feelings. This also shows how controlled the community is.



Lastly, this photo depicts a man with a little girl on his lap, as they are riding down a hill on a red sled. This is similar to the scene in The Giver, where Jonas is making his escape with Gabe. This is a key event in the novel as it represents freedom, change and hope.
Firstly, freedom. The representation of freedom is that of what Jonas and Gabe would be able to get once they successfully escape from their community, and into Elsewhere, where they would not have to lived in such a controlled structured place, and be free to do whatever they like, whenever they like, not restricted by anything.
Secondly, change. This represents the change that the community would face once Jonas has left the community. The memories that Jonas received from The Giver would then be released to the community, which would experience a number of new things, like colour and emotions. They would then have to adapt to change with this new acquired knowledge.
Lastly, hope. At the end of the novel, it was stated that Jonas had seen twinkling lights of different colours and heard music. This is a representation of hope. The glimmer of hope that was present when he heard and saw such things, the hope he felt when it was almost certain he reached 'Elsewhere'.

I hope that through these images you may have a new insight to how these pictures or photographs can be related to the themes or key events in the novel.

love,
sarah(: back to top? 0 comments