Essay Example
Essay on The Giver
In Lois Lowry’s classic novel, the community appears to be a perfect utopia where hunger, war, and pain have been eliminated.
The Cost of a Perfect Society
In Lois Lowry’s classic novel, the community appears to be a perfect utopia where hunger, war, and pain have been eliminated. However, as the protagonist Jonas begins his training as the Receiver of Memory, he discovers that this stability comes at a devastating cost. Through Jonas’s eyes, the reader learns that a society without suffering is also a society without love, color, or true freedom. This essay on the giver explores how the pursuit of "Sameness" strips away the essential qualities of the human spirit in exchange for a hollow security.
The Illusion of Sameness
The foundation of the community is built on the concept of Sameness. To prevent conflict and ensure total equality, the leaders have removed all distinctions, including climate, landscape, and even the ability to see color. While this system prevents certain social issues like discrimination or poverty, it also destroys individuality. Citizens do not choose their own careers, spouses, or children; instead, every aspect of life is strictly regulated by the Elders. By removing the burden of choice, the community has also removed the possibility of making a meaningful life. The inhabitants live in a perpetual state of emotional numbness, unaware of the richness they have sacrificed for the sake of order.