The Importance Of Individuality In The Book The Giver, By Lois Lowry

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Even though being different is important to our modern day community, according to the book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, being the same is way easier. In their community, they eliminate fear, pain, hunger, illness, conflict, and hatred. In addition, they enforce rules to make sure everyone eats the same meal, have the same clothes, have the same hairstyle, and live in identical houses. However, their technological and medical advances allow the community to avoid dangers. In the book, being different is targeted, if you are different they will release you, meaning they will kill you. Sameness takes control over everything and everyone in order to keep everyone comfortable, and being comfortable is the most important thing to these people. Sameness …show more content…

This shows that their community wants everyone to look the same and they discourage individuality. Also in chapter 6, it expresses that the children get the same gifts according to their age. “Seven. Fours, Fives, and Sixes all wore jackets that fastened down the back so that they would have to help each other dress” (52-53 Lowry). In The Giver, the reliance on others is important to their community. Children today are taught to dress themselves to learn independence and self-reliance.Therefore in chapter 7, Asher confuses the words, "snack" and "smack," he is then disciplined with a wand then he began to cringe and correct himself (69-70). This explains that their community ensures that everyone learns at the same rate, eliminating the differences. However, in chapter 8, The elder chief says that Jonas has all the qualities necessary for being the Receiver, such as intelligence, courage, and ability to see change (74-81). In this community, Jonas has been singled out as being different, only he will be able to see these changes. Everyone else has to follow the rules and they don 't have the privileges like he does (83-85). With Jonas 's privileges and individualism comes loneliness, which everyone else doesn’t feel. Since everyone else is so similar, they never have secrets, unique experiences, or …show more content…

He tells the Giver that he wants to choose things for himself. The Giver then responds that choice e was taken away to prevent people from making the wrong choices. Jonas soon realizes that there could be choices more important than choosing what color to wear that could have terrible consequences (122-123 Lowry). This shows that the community 's decision to eliminate choice entirely cancels people of their individuality and uniqueness. Sameness in the Giver has its pros and cons, but according to this community, there is no competition, no struggles, and no personal choices. Jonas decides this is not the way he wants live and it’s not greener on the other side. As Jonas learns more and more, he comes to realize that his community is a

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