Skip to main content

Who are the antagonists in Lowry's The Giver?

The antagonist of any story is the main person or obstacle that stands in the protagonist's way of achieving his/her goal. There isn't one person who gets in Jonas's face and battles with him about not leaving the community, for example. The major conflict is Jonas vs Sameness; therefore, it is Sameness, the system under which everyone lives, that Jonas must conquer. Sameness was started "back and back and back" as the Giver says, by...

The antagonist of any story is the main person or obstacle that stands in the protagonist's way of achieving his/her goal. There isn't one person who gets in Jonas's face and battles with him about not leaving the community, for example. The major conflict is Jonas vs Sameness; therefore, it is Sameness, the system under which everyone lives, that Jonas must conquer. Sameness was started "back and back and back" as the Giver says, by ancestors who don't exist for Jonas anymore (95).


Some might argue that the elders are the antagonists because they are the ones who enforce Sameness and they know better. But the Giver says that they really don't know what they are doing: first, because they are products of the system of Sameness themselves; and second, they don't have the memories to help them make such a critical decision for the community. All the elders know is that the Receiver holds all of the pain and suffering for the community so they all can lead "happier" lives. If they did know the full extent at which Sameness inhibits people from leading more abundant lives, they may have sided with the Giver that Sameness should end. But there's no specific elder or elders who are the villains of the story.


Hence, there isn't anyone to point a finger at to blame or hold accountable for setting up a system of government that takes away people's ability to make choices of preference, euthanizes babies and the elderly, or forces people to take pills to oppress their sensual desires. The system just exists and Jonas must discover what it is exactly in order to know how to break it down. If he succeeds, people would be able to take back their free agency and the ability and freedom to make their own choices. 

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more