The Giver Research Paper

When people learn new things, they tend to alter their opinions. Lois Lowry's The Giver, very well describes how the change of opinions in people happens. Jonas, a special eleven-year-old boy changes his opinions about his community's rules when he meets The Giver, a wise old man. The Giver teaches Jonas new things and gradually, his opinion about the rules in the community alter. Jonas feels the rules are important at the beginning and at the end, Jonas feels the rules aren't right for people.

At the beginning of the book Jonas feels the rules are important. It is time for the Telling of Feelings, a time at dinner where families share their feelings they felt that day because it is a requirement made by the Committee of Elders, and Jonas

But it was, of course, against the rules." (pg. 12) Even though he is reluctant to tell his feelings because they are complicated and might make his parents worry, Jonas tells them because he knows and feels the rules are important because he has been educated to think they are just a normal part of everyone's life because everyone follows them, and no one disobeys, as a result of not knowing another way of life. His parents were educated this way and everyone in the community has been because it enforces order and makes sure no one disagrees with the way of the Community. Jonas could just hide his feelings so he wouldn't have to tell them, but he decides to anyway because he feels the rules are necessary and important to life in the community. Another time Jonas feels the rules are important is

Before leaving to school, Jonas takes a pill every morning to stop him from feeling, one of the community's rules, but, " [For] the first time, Jonas did not take his pill." (pg. 162) By not taking his pill, Jonas shows that he doesn't want the rules to dictate his life and that he wants to make his own choices in life, like choices about the pill because the rule keeps you from feeling things that humans need to feel to live, feelings like love. Jonas could have taken the pill like everyone else in the community because they had to, or else they could be released, but Jonas felt that the rules were keeping everyone from having natural pleasures like feelings that he wanted to feel and from living life to its fullest. Another time Jonas feels the rules are depriving people of good things happens when he stays at The Giver's place for the night because he does not want to see his family after he witnessed his father releasing one of the baby twins to stop overpopulation in the Community which means he killed one of the baby twins. The Giver comes up with a plan to change the community's rules, which he had never done and would not have done if Jonas had not given him hope, and Jonas listens. Finally Jonas says, " Yes... I'll do it." (pg. 194) Even though he has been taught his whole life to believe the Community's rules are right, since The Giver teaches