you're a mystery yourself

Saturday, July 17, 2010

5:23 PM

"What did you perceive?" The Giver asked.

"Warmth," Jonas replied, "and happiness. And - let me think. Family. That it was a celebration of some sort, a holiday. And something else - I can't quite get the word for it."

"It will come to you."

"Who were the old people? Why were they there?" It had puzzled Jonas, seeing them in the room. The Old of the community did not ever leave their special place, the House of the Old, where they were so well cared for and respected.

"They were called Grandparents."

"Grand parents?"

"Grandparents. It meant parents-of-parents, long ago."

"Back and back and back?" Jonas began to laugh. "So actually, there could be parents-of-the-parents-of-the-parents-of-the-parents?"

The Giver laughed, too. "That's right.It's a little like looking at yourself in a mirror looking at yourself in a mirror."

Jonas frowned. "But my parents must have had parents! I have never thought about it before. Who are my parents-of-the-parents? Where are they?"

"You could go look in the Hall of Open Records. You'd find the names. But think, son. If you apply for children, then who will be their parents-of-the-parents? Who will be their grandparents?"

"My mother and father, of course."

"And where will they be?"

Jonas thought. "Oh," he added slowly. "When I finish my training and become a full adult, I'll be given my own dwelling. And then when Lily does, a few years later, she'll get her own dwelling, and maybe a spouse, and children if she applies for them, and then Mother and Father -"

"That's right."

"As long as they're still working and contributing to the community, they'll go and live with the other Childless Adults. And they won't be part of my life anymore.

"And after that, when the time comes, they'll go to the House of the Old," Jonas went on. He was thinking aloud. "And they'll be well cared for, and respected, and when they're released, there will be a celebration."

"Which you won't attend," The Giver pointed out.

"No, of course not, because I won't even know about it. By then I'll be so busy with my own life. And Lily will, too. So our children, if we have them, won't know who their parents-of-the-parents are, either.

"It seems to work pretty well that way, doesn't it? The way we do it in our community?" Jonas asked. "I just didn't realise there was any other way, until I received that memory."

"It works," The Giver agreed.

Jonas hesitated. "I certainly liked that memory, though. I can see why it's your favourite. I couldn't quite get the word for the whole feeling of it, the feeling that was so strong in the room."

"Love," The Giver told him.

Jonas repeated it. "Love." It was a word and concept new to him.

This was an extract taken from pages 123 to 125 of "The Giver".

The Giver had transferred to Jonas a memory of a Christmas celebration by an entire family, a family with Grandparents too. They were unwrapping presents found under the Christmas tree and there were cries of delight and hugs. The whole room was filled with warmth, happiness and love. Jonas could feel that but he had not experienced it before.

When he saw the "older, quiet couple", he was puzzled. This was solely because he never had a chance to know and experience the feeling of having Grandparents before. In fact, he did not even know what were Grandparents. He referred to them as "parents-of-the-parents". He was not given the opportunity to know his Grandparents as all the 'Childless Adults' and 'The Old' lived separately from their children and those they were once acquainted with. In fact, they won't even be part of their lives anymore! This proves that 'family' was not really stressed upon in Jonas's community. 'Family' was not as important as living an orderly, controlled and painless life.

Secondly, this extract shows that there was no actual love in Jonas's community.
Even at the age of twelve, Jonas did not know the word 'love'. It was only in that particular memory and conversation with The Giver that he came to know of 'love'. The extract stated that "it was a word and concept new to him". Later on, when he asked his parents if they loved him, they actually replied that the word 'love' was so generalised and meaningless that it had became almost obsolete. Whereas in our world, at this day and age, 'love' is used so frequently to express our feelings for one another. It is understood that it is a tender and passionate affection for another. This suggests that Jonas's community has chosen to be different in a way that has eliminated the feeling of 'love', especially familial love.

Lastly, this extract also expresses one of the main themes in "The Giver", which is the importance of an individual.
In Jonas's community, there is a lack of individualism. In this extract, there are terms such as "Childless Adults" and "The Old". This shows that the peopl were all grouped together and "labelled". Also, the people in the community were "labelled" according to what they worked as. The Giver had been assigned to be The Receiver and since Jonas was selected to be the next Receiver, The Giver had to change his name to be The Giver and was then known, or "labelled", that ever since. Therefore, there is no individualism in their community as people were not given unique names to be known and identified by.

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