Culture In The Giver

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In The Giver, Lois Lowry uses cultural and physical surroundings to shape psychological and moral traits in Jonas as he struggles in fitting into his assignment that he will pursue for the rest of his life: the receiver. Lowry specifically uses cultural surroundings to shape moral traits in Jonas. In Jonas' society, The council has very strict rules that teach Jonas what is right and wrong. From the moment they are born, each child begins to learn the culture and social norms, in other words, what is right and what is not. On page 70, Lowry states "He had been trained since earliest childhood, since his earliest learning of language, never to lie. It was an integral part of the learning of precise of speech." Turning 12 you receive an assignment that will determine the rest of your life. Jonas was …show more content…

Psychological traits often refer to personality or character traits. Lowry creates this totalitarian culture that creates psychological traits in Jonas such as being curious. On page 128, Jonas says "Things could be different. I don’t know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors." By isolating the community with strict laws and teachings, it pushes the main character, Jonas to seek more. He knows that there is more, perhaps in "elsewhere." This psychological trait of curiosity eventually took over and Jonas went against everything the council has taught him and ran away to find more. Comparing to the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand. Equality 7-2521 also runs away from his community because the "World Council of Scholars" made him believe that being himself was wrong. "It is above all our brothers to us, and its truth above their truth. Why wonder about this?" (page 79) Equality was curious just like Jonas and because both of the cultures they lived in were disjunct, it shaped this psychological trait in the main character of both

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