THE GIVER chapter 1-5

The Giver by Lois Lowry, is the story about a boy named Jonas that lives in a world with no freedom, no fear and no choices. He lives in a community where everything and everyone is perfect. Jonas is part of a group called the Elevens, which is the last phase of their childhood. In December everything will change for Jonas because it is the month in which his life will be determined forever; he will be designated an assignment. Jonas feels apprehensive about the December ceremony. He has been preparing for this event so that he can have a good assignment. He has been following all of the community’s strict rules and has been completing all of his volunteer hours. Jonas´ father has the nurturer assignment, which involves taking care of people that are feeling bad physically and mentally; he also takes care of newborn babies. In this community there is something called the release, which means that a person has to leave the community because they did something wrong or because they are ready to die. In this community there is also a strict rule which involves not criticizing anybody specially their physical qualities. Jonas has a very special physical quality which is that he has lighter eyes than everyone in the community except for a little girl and Gabriel, a baby boy. Gabriel has not been eating and sleeping like he should so he was supposed to be released, but Jonas´ father asked permission so that he could take care of him in his home instead of in the nurturer’s center so that he won’t have to be released.


"After my ceremony of twelve, I missed my childhood recreation. But when I entered my training for Law and Justice, I found myself with people who shared my interests" (18).
 
This quote is a referance for what I said about how the ceremony would change Jonas´ life and also how you finished your childhood and now started a new phase. It demonstrates how the citizen´s  lives are marrked forever and how it changes people.

I think that this community is a place where there is no happiness or sadness, everything is perfect. I think that a community as perfect as this, is a community that will have problems later.