Sadia Mirza

06/03/14

The Giver
The Giver, written by author Lois Lowry, describes an environment in which everything is
perfect, also known as a Utopia. The Giver takes place in a community that is based on sameness
and ignorance. There is no weather, no colors, no music, no animals, and no nature. The people
in this community don't even know what these things are. Jonas, a twelve boy, is anxiously
waiting for the Ceremony of Twelve. An event in which every Eleven year-old child gets given
an assignment or job. While predicting to receive an assignment such as a Nurturer, Jonas instead
gets the most important job in the Community; the job as The Receiver. This job requires Jonas
to hold all the memories that have previously taken place, to avoid causing imperfections and
pain in the world. Jonas is selected to endure all of societys pain. This is incorrect. Memories
either negative or positive are imperative for everyone. Humans should be able to carry out their
own memories because memories make people complete, its unfair to put all that strain on one
person and no one has the right to take them away from anyone.
Memories are life experiences, whether they are good or bad. They outline identity and make
every individual unique. Memories are how people view the world, and why they view the world
in the way they do. Without memories, no one would know who they are and everyone would be
the same. No one will have experiences to separate themselves from others. What is the point of
being an individual person when there is nothing significant to separate anyone apart? When
people grow old, their physical form changes. Their bodies regenerate cells in a rate that by the
time their 25 years old, theyve probably changed 3 or 4 times. Our psychological attachment to
those sad and happy times is established through what individuals choose to remember from
these times. Forming a small mental portrait that accumulates over time, enhances life and can be
stored to be shared with those you care about. Memories give scars, whether mental, emotional
or physical, a background story. They give reminiscence a meaning. They can sometimes be
anyones best companion.
Memories are like oxygen, or water or even colours. They are mere shadows of our true selves.
They make life complete. As wisely stated by The Giver himself, the worst part of holding the
memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.
Despite memories being significant, they can still be painful. Pain, that helps keep individuals
sane, but painful nonetheless. In fact, many human sometimes chose not to endure the pain in
which they take their own lives away. Average painful memories include, heartbreak, the loss of
someone significant, bullying etc. Several sources describe these feelings to feel as if someone

Sadia Mirza
06/03/14
had taken their hearts out and stomped on them. They were described as so excruciatingly
painful, that they had left emotional scars on thousands of people. These are just examples of
emotional pain but then theres physical pain. Heart attacks, broken bones, and child birth are
just very few examples, but nonetheless, memories can be very painful. If one individual cannot
tolerate their own memories, how can one person tolerate the entire worlds? Its nearly a cause
for destruction. One person cannot endure every single painful moment experienced. Putting that
mental strain on one person is nearly torturing them. In some way, that is a form of inequality.
Whats the purpose of a utopian if the perfect life isnt offered to everyone? Even if its only
one individual being affected, that one individual is still a human being.
The inequality is especially shown in The Giver. The selection of one child having to endure all
of societys pain is even worse. If adults cannot handle pain, why is there an exception for
children? This act is selfish; forcing one person to endure all the pain to make others life better is
self-centred and inconsiderate. No one in this world should be required to handle pain especially
to such an extent. Its wrong and thoughtless.
As mentioned earlier, memories are just mere shadows of us. They are basically, ourselves but
in a mental form. During the novel, Jonas had thought, they were satisfied with their lives
which had none of the vibrancies his own was taking on. And he was angry at himself, that he
could not change that for them. He was angered that memories were taken away from people,
and his anger was rational. Every human being is considered an individual for a purpose. An
individual is a single human being as distinct from a group, class, or family. How does it make
sense to take someones recollections from them? Some people believe its reasonable because it
relieves the general population from pain but, what gives people the right? Everyone has their
own opinions and ways to lead life. Its unfair for that to be taken away because some people
believe they know whats right.
Human beings were made with brains and emotions, so they could lead their own lives, and
memories play a significant part in life. There cant be life without memories because then, life is
just staged. No one would actually have their own life; they would have what was given to them
by either society or government. They wouldnt be individuals anymore, they would just be
puppets.
Memories are evidently significant. They not only keep people sane but they keep them happy.
They make life worth living and can be used as a free remedy. Memories either negative or
positive are imperative for everyone. Humans should be able to carry out their own memories
because memories make people complete, its unfair to put all that strain on one person and no
one has the right to take them away from anyone. They define what life is. People learn from
many of them at various stages of life. Some of the most important things in life are not tangible.
Memories can last a lifetime when objects become lost or no longer exist.

Sadia Mirza
06/03/14