Is Jonas' world perfect?No, it's missing some of the things that many people in our world would consider necessary to life. Although there are no diseases or wars, there is also no uniqueness or choice. What's missing?First of all, emotion is missing. If things were never bad, they could never be good. The Community doesn't experience true joy or grief, there is no death or celebration of life. What's the point of a life without love? They have no music, sports, choosing families, or colors. They can't choose what they want with their life. Why did he run away?He ran away because he was planning to release his memories back into the community and the giver would help them deal with it. He decided to leave earlier because his dad told him that they would be releasing Gabe. What would you give up?I could give up choosing where to live and what clothes to wear. I don't think that I could give up my family, choosing what I want to do with my life, music, and colors. Would you give up as much as those in Jonas' community?I don't think that I could because many of the the things that I love to do are not included in community life. They can't choose what they want in any aspect of life and don't feel the emotions that we do in out world.
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Think about the plan that The Giver and Jonas develop. What are the causes that lead to this plan? What effect will this plan have? The Giver and Jonas plan to release the memories that they hold into the community. After Jonas sees what release really is, he and The Giver know that the community must change. Jonas is outraged that the elders are so ignorant to the value of life and love. When he hears that Gabriel is going to be released, he knows that it is time to embark on his journey to Elsewhere, even if he isn't fully prepared. After he leaves the community, his memories of the past will be released and the lack of a new receiver will force the community to bear the memories together. The Giver will help them and they will finally realize the beauty of a life with love, emotion, color, and music.
Jonas spends all day with the Giver. What do you notice about their relationship? Jot down things they say to each other they say to each other (or don't say). Notice how they act around each other. What questions do you have about their relationship? How does it differ from other relationships in the community?Jonas and The Giver are the only two people in the community who know and experience love. They spend hours together every day and share their memories and feelings, which go deeper than any of the shallow "sharing of feelings" do throughout the rest of the community. They talk about how restricted the community life is and how beautiful the world could be with feelings and colors. The Giver and Jonas share their feelings on rules and why knowing the past is important. Their conversations are very philosophical and by doing this, they have made a bond very quickly. Because they are the only two who have shared these experiences, they find a connection through their Assignment. The rest of the community doesn't know anything about past life and are ignorant about how life could be. They have a love and affection for each other that is like an actual family, not like the chosen and assigned ones that the community has.
Transmit one of your memories. Write about it in a way that the reader can feel what you are describing. Use all of your senses as you write to capture sights, sounds, flavors, textures and rhythms. As I place the two long skis on the ground, I can hear the soft thump as they hit powdery snow. A cloud of snowflakes gathers around them for a few moments, disrupted by the pink skis placed on the ground, then settle back down. I step forward and place my feet into the bindings. Hearing the click that locks my white ski boots into place. Even through my puffy jacket, I can feel the cold air, and when I breathe out of my mouth, I can see the steam. From the sky, white flurries fall gather on my dark, braided hair for a few seconds before melting. I can feel the crisp winter air around me, the kind of air that turns the tips of your ears and nose pink. The sky is a soft shade of gray, with the sun masked by clouds. Around me, the scrape of skis fills the air with noise, and the laughter and shouts of children and adults makes this place even more magical. Aching to join them, I move forward toward the ski lift, anticipating my arrival at the top of the mountain.
What is Jonas' Assignment? What kind of clues have you picked up as you read that hint at what might happen to him next? Make a prediction about what will happen to Jonas.Jonas' Assignment is the Receiver of Memory. I think that based on what descriptions Lois Lowry has given about this community, it is very regimented and structured, and people have limited choices. There is no weather or cars or television, or any of the other things that we consider ordinary in out life. I think that since his job involves pain he will receive some memories of things that involve pain, such as war and famine. His community doesn't experience any of those things because there is no conflict and any small misdemeanors or strange behaviors are ended before anyone can think or themselves. They are taught from a young age that lying is bad and that precision of language is key. I think that the first creators of this community meant it as a haven from the hardships of life and as a place where everything is perfect. But without hardship, there is no joy and love. I think Jonas will receive memories of the past, of feelings and other things that are intentionally left out of his community.
do you have any idea yet about what you want to be when you become an adult? What particular talents and interests do you have? What profession makes use of such skill? If your parents were going to decide your future career do you think they would use for you? Explain why they would make that choice.When I am an adult, I would like to have a job in business. I am good at math and am interested in helping others make good decisions, so I think that it would be a good choice for me. If I decide to get a degree in business, I would have a lot of options to direct my career. If my parents could decide what profession I had, it would probably be business as well because they know that it would suit my interests and talents and that I could excel in that job. They know that I am good at math and making wise decisions money-wise, so they know that it would be a great fit for me.
Why did Lois Lowry leave some things out? What is saying about this society by leaving these out?Lois Lowery left out birthdays, holidays, sports and instruments, and freedom of choice. Instead of birthdays, they had a yearly ceremony that allowed the children to grow and earned more responsibilities as they learn. Instead of sports and instruments, they spent their time in the recreation center and doing volunteer hours. They have no freedom of choice, only regulated the lives that included having assigned jobs and family. This society is very regulated and there is no room for innovation or imagination. Nobody has any way to choose what they want and the society even regulates and restricts what word choices you make to describe your feelings.
Notice where Jonas lives. Where does this story take place? What kind of world is it? What can you tell from the first chapter about life in this world? Does it remind you of anywhere else you've read about or experienced?Jonas lives a very restricted life in a community of some sort. The place where he lives has many rules, including choosing the right word to express how you feel. In the community, you would be scolded for using frightened instead of apprehensive to describe how you feel about an event. Punishment for not following one of the many rules would result in "release" from the community. Just by the first chapter, you can tell that the life where they live is very confined and they can't do much outside of the things that are already chosen for them. So far, this book reminds me of some other futuristic and dystopian books that I've read such as the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Matched.
What happens when people do not obey rules?Rules are put in place for a very important reason. That reason is order. Rules provide a basis for us to model our actions, words, and morals on. Without them, both crime and disorder would take over. I feel that with rules come responsibilities. For example, you may feel the desire to break a rule such as driving before you have a license because it seems fun, but obeying the rule until you are allowed to drive teaches the responsibility needed to be a good driver. Other times, your parents or another adult creates a rule that you don't like or agree with and you want to break that too, even though it's probably in your best interest. So what happens if we do decide to break rules? Well, this is the exact reason we have rules, consequences. If there were no consequences for actions, we wouldn't think that anything was wrong. When you break a rule there are always consequences. From my first example, when you break a law you'll be punished by the government. This could mean anything from a harsh warning to jail time or worse. Then there are the moral and dutiful rules usually put into place by an adult in your life, which could range from doing your homework to praying before bed. When you break these rules, your guardian or mentor will punish you with words or restricted time doing something such as watching tv or using your phone. So, overall, rules are meant to be a guideline for us so that we are considerate of ourselves and those around us. If we break them we are punished and that shows us what is right and wrong.
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