Short extract
Thursday, July 29, 2010
I am taking two extracts from the Giver one from page 51/52 and the other from page 83/84
Page 83/84
This is a conversation between Jonas and the giver, who is explaining how and why the community developed Sameness.
“Why don’t we have snow, and sleds, and hills?” he asked. “And when did we, in the past? Did my parents have sleds when they were young? Did you?” The old man shrugged and gave a short laugh. “No,” he told Jonas. “It’s a very distant memory. That’s why it was so exhausting—I had to tug it forward from many generations back. It was given to me when I was a new Receiver, and the previous Receiver had to pull it through a long time period, too.” “But what happened to those things? Snow and the rest of it?” “Climate Control. Snow made growing food difficult, limited the agricultural periods. And unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. It wasn’t a practical thing, so it became obsolete when we went to Sameness.” “And hills, too “he added. “They made conveyance of goods unwieldy. Trucks; buses. Slowed them down. So—” He waved his hand, as of the gesture had caused the hills to disappear. “Sameness,” he concluded.
Page 51/52
This is the introduction to the Elder’s speech at the ceremony of twelves. Talking of honouring differences
“This is the time,” she began, looking directly at them, “when we acknowledge differences. You Elevens have spent all your years till now learning to fit in, to standardize your behaviour, to curb any impulse that might set you apart from the group.” But today we honour your differences. They have determined your futures.”
The first extract taken from the first lesson that Jonas had with the giver, is about how sameness has helped the community and how it is first developed in the community. This discussion shows the mentality that the people have, that everyone is equal and no one is in any way different from each other. It also speaks of what this change have improved their lives. For example there is no slow in traffic because of hills to climb or sudden changes in weather and agriculture is grown throughout the year at top condition because of controlled weather. Sameness is the people’s pride as it shows that they were able to create an almost ideal society. Yet the people are also contradicting themselves. In the second extract it is of the Chief Elder speaking of honouring differences as different jobs shapes our lives differently. This might not directly contradict with the original idea of what sameness is to the community; however this leads to the breaking up of sameness. The people would lose parts of their sameness because of the differences in jobs. As there are different jobs, the people are labelled to what their assignment is. Like, the Receiver, Birthmother, Nurturers and so forth. However, because people start to have labels, prejudice against certain assignments and bias towards some jobs grow and developed. One example is when Mother said that “There is very little honour “in being a birthmother, when Lily casually said when wanted to be one, and everyone told Jonas that hi assignment is most honourable above anything else, throughout the entire book. Jonas also has the most respect among his peers and he is allowed to do things like watch a video of releasing a baby. This is one of the requests that no one else has the power or right to ask for. As these labels and prejudice are formed, a hierarchy grows within the community.
This fully contradicts with the original goal, as one main reason for Sameness is to strive for no hierarchy or unjust and prejudice to one another. Hence honouring these different assignments would ultimately turn into a contradiction to the original attitude of what Sameness in the community is.
--Mary HAD a little lamb--
10:53 AM
