Utopian Society “There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable,” (Twain). The Giver, a novel written by Lois Lowry, is about a perfect society in which sameness is encouraged. A young boy named Jonas is given a job that will change both the way he thinks and the way he lives. After discovering how wonderful a world full of uniqueness, feelings, and memories could be, he ventures out to try and find one. “Christmas Kindness” is a touching video in which Oprah Winfrey brings joy to the lives of many South Africans, both young and old. Oprah shows African children that they are cared for and will always be remembered, no matter their state of wealth or education. The South Africans featured in the video do not live…show more content…
Although feelings are not felt in The Giver, jealousy and attachment are not an issue, and neither is the pressure of possibly making a wrong decision. “We don’t dare to let people make choices of their own,” (Lowry, 124). The society is convinced that they are doing what is best, and they are not wrong. People make mistakes, but by outruling the citizen’s ability to make decisions, the chance of messing up is decreased. As a result, the community is content with the image of perfection, and citizens do not feel the pressure that comes with making decisions. Day by day the citizen’s of Jonas’ community live without the pressure the real world brings, and to many that is a magnificent thing they would love to experience. In the end, the world described in The Giver is a more appealing place to live. The society is full of sameness, but the citizens are looked after and kept safe. The book reports a place in which feelings are not felt, but what the citizens do not know, cannot hurt them. Each person lives a content life with limited diversity or conflict. The people in charge of the world created in the book believe that they have constructed a utopian society that nobody will have any problems with. “Design is a constant challenge to balance comfort with luxe, the practical with the desirable,”
A Utopia: A community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities.
Dystopia: a community or society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening. It is literally translated as "not-good bad-place" and synonymous with the opposite of utopia.
In the Giver, the Community is an example of a Utopian society. Everything seems perfect, but it is actually dark and demented; you're own spouses are chosen, emotions are obscured, and your own decisions are practically taken away. For crying out loud, memories are hidden from everyone!
I would actually consider The Giver dystopian for those reasons, but it can be classified as a utopian novel.“If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices!” (Lowry, 1993, p. 97). Lois Lowry’s The Giver depicts a seemingly perfect world that participates in an ideology referred to as “sameness” within her novel. The novel performs extremely well in the sense that it builds a vivid world, yet simultaneously leaves just enough room for the reader’s imagination. Throughout the novel, the third person omniscient perspective follows the protagonist, Jonas on his journey to adulthood. In the community (and surrounding…
Have you ever wondered about after getting up in the morning and never have to look in the mirror and do your hair or pick out an outfit good enough? Even have to worry about getting laid off and losing your home and possibly getting a divorce? Maybe even just knowing that no one will ever say anything mean to you or do anything to upset you, sounds pretty like a utopia don’t you think? That is why I think Jonas’s community is a utopia. One of the main reasons why I believe the giver is a utopia is because no one cares what they wear, they never have to worry about what anyone thinks because there are no attraction relationships.
For example they don’t get to choose their spouses; they are just giving to them. Another reason it doesn’t matter what you look like in Jonas’s Community is because you never have to dress up to go to work, you never have to dress up to go out with friends because they all wear the same thing. An example of this is when Jonas said “mirrors were rare in the community (…) but there was no real need for them” (21). This shows that people haven’t cared about what other people think about each other or even cared about what they think about themselves is so long that mirrors are rare.
Not only is never worrying about what you look like an example of a utopia but there are many more. Another main reason why I strongly believe that the giver is a utopia is because they never have to get stressed about finding a job and putting food on the table. All jobs are just handed to the people as best fit as possible. An example of this is when Jonas is given the job as the receiver of memory. “Jonas was identified as a possible receiver many years ago. There were no dreams of uncertainty (…) with his hands firmly on Jonas’s shoulders as he looked at him” (62).
In Jonas’s society no jobs require getting paid but everyone gets what they need if they work, so everyone works. Have you ever heard of a person lousing their job and saying they lost everything? That is because jobs are one of the most important things in life to have for most people. If jobs are that easy to get, I defiantly think haven a job given to you is a great characteristic of a utopia. My final reason is because everyone is kind to each other and treats everyone with respect, which leads to almost no wrong doing. Can you imagine a world with all kind people, no 911, no murders not even people saying mean hings? When someone does three serious bad things they are released because it is important in Jonas’s society that everyone is good. And when someone even comes in late to a class room they have to apologize to everyone. An example is when Asher comes in late he has to make a public announcement to say sorry. “Asher apologized and everyone forgave him” (14) as easy as that. Is Jonas’s community there are very strict rules about being nice but in the end it pays off because is leads to no sadness, no depression, everyone is content and happy. Always feeling safe, never have to worry, always feeling perfect.
All because of living in a perfect society just like a utopia. I believe that Jonas’s community is a utopia because even thinking about living in a place where everyone follows the rules, everyone is happy and content and no one is better than anyone else sounds like a perfect community. When living in a place like this it does require many rules and lack of knowledge about some things but aren’t very important. Like knowing about what an elephant is or what it’s like when it’s freezing cold. But who wants to know about things that make us sad? Jonas’s community is an excellent example of what the meaning of a utopia really is.
Unfortunately, the short answer is 'no.' While many have tried to create the perfect society, an equal number have failed. Why is this the case? At the end of the day, being a human being is complicated. We're often selfish, we don't always think rationally, and we deal with the stickiness of emotions. But we can still dream about the perfect society, right?
Many authors have envisioned perfect societies and the ways their characters have achieved them. In most instances, these idyllic places are not actually utopias. They're dystopias. A dystopia is the opposite of a utopia.
Leaders of dystopian societies start off with the best of intentions. They get rid of war, eliminate poverty, and decrease social problems. Unfortunately, the people living under such perfect conditions are inherently imperfect, so governments and societies try to correct that, too. People living in dystopian societies are usually subjected to mind control. They lose their rights, and in many cases, they lose themselves as individuals. Ultimately, everything a dystopian society does to make the world more perfect actually makes the human condition worse.
So what about the imaginary world of Lois Lowry's The Giver? Is this society a utopia or a dystopia? Let's find out!
The Giver as a Utopian Society
The Giver takes place at some point in the distant future, and at first, it seems pretty great. Outwardly, society doesn't have any big problems. Everyone has a home, everyone has a job, and everyone is well fed. People behave appropriately, there are no major crimes, and everyone is calm. To top it off, there's no suffering and no pain.
When old people are ready to die, they're 'released' into the area beyond society. We are told that they go 'elsewhere.' There, they can pass on in peace. When parents come home from work and children come home from school, they sit around the dinner table and share the highlights of their day. Everyone is supported and nurtured. After reading the first few pages of The Giver, it would appear that the book is about a utopia. If you keep reading, however, it becomes very clear that something is amiss.
The Giver as a Dystopian Society
Beneath the seemingly perfect surface, The Giver actually portrays a dystopian society. Let's start with the government. The Committee of Elders runs the show; it helps make laws and major decisions that affect everyone in society. When a child reaches the age of 11, the Committee of Elders determines what career path a child will follow. Every moment of people's lives is planned by someone else.
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