Skip to main content

What are some of the pros about living in Jonas's utopian society in the book The Giver?

The seemingly utopian society that Lois Lowry creates in The Giver is based upon the principle of Sameness. The Committee of Elders controls every aspect of a person's life, including everything from what they wear to how many children they are permitted to have. Citizens in Jonas' community have every aspect of their lives planned out for them; choice does not exist in their lives. The function of Sameness in the novel invites readers to examine their own thoughts and opinions about what would happen in their lives if choice was removed. 

The idea of not having to make choices in life does seem rather appealing, especially in the lives of young adults and college students, as many important choices and decisions occur during this point in a person's life. It would certainly seem convenient to have a person act as a guide down each path without having to worry about a thing. However, the absence of choice most certainly has its downfalls. It is up to each reader to examine how Sameness might function in their own society. 


The pros of Sameness, and the purpose behind this philosophy, involve eliminating the negative elements in the world. First of all, we can look at physical sameness. Everybody in Jonas' community is the same color; skin color, hair color, and eye color (with the exception of a chosen few) are universal throughout the community. Ideally, this type of Sameness would eliminate racism, prejudice, and racial privilege in their society. We can also look at socioeconomic sameness. While there are certainly stigmas related to specific assignments (think about the way Jonas' mother perceives Birth Mothers) each member of the community is assigned a role and must respect that decision. Therefore, class in the traditional sense does not exist in the novel. 


Another pro of Sameness would be the services and opportunities available to community members. Each person receives the same amount of food, appropriate shelter, medical care, education, and employment. No member of the community ever has to worry about doing without or providing for their family. At one point in the novel, Jonas is punished for stating that he is starving. His community values precision of language and although Jonas may have been hungry in that moment, he is reminded that he is not and nor will he ever be starving as long as he lives there. 


In Jonas' community, feelings and emotions are limited. Each morning, family members share the dreams they had the night before and each evening they share their feelings about the day. However, Jonas learns how limited their feelings actually are when he receives a memory of love. Although living without love or passion may seem difficult, their society also lives without knowing sadness, disappointment, heartbreak, or emotional pain. 


In a nutshell, the purpose of Sameness involves leveling the playing field so that each member of the community receives the same opportunity to live a healthy and successful life without struggling. While this may seem like a utopia, Jonas ultimately decides that individual choice, emotions, and diversity are important and puts himself in a dangerous situation to do what he believes to be right.


Would Sameness actually create a utopia? Or would this level of control create a dystopia? It is up to each reader to decide what they might do in Jonas' situation. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...
Post a Comment
Read more