Ian Somerhalder Foundation Book Club discussion
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The Giver
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Ian
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Jun 24, 2013 11:26AM
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Ian wrote: "Is it worth sacrificing freedom, choice, and individuality for peace, contentment, and ease?"At first it seemed as if Jonas' way of life was ideal because there wasn't pain or anger or jealousy within his community. Everyone acted accordingly and carried on with their lives in an extremely structured way, much like an assembly line, from one year to the next. There was control and order and things worked well. But the people of the community were like robots, everything about their life was planned for them. There was no use of the brain, just trained behaviors. There was no dreaming of becoming the next President or a fireman or astronaut. The purpose of the people served something or someone other than themselves and they lived their lives accordingly. Everything was already planned from their birth to their death, I assume. And that made me sad. How can they even truly enjoy peace and contentment if they don't know what freedom, choice and individuality stand for? They are only happy because that's the way they are trained to be not because that's the way they feel.
No, what a bland and boring life.
Debby wrote: "No, what a bland and boring life."Right! It's like their existence is just to exist.
Not at all. How can you tell if something is truely good or happy if you have nothing to compare it to. The community in this book is so programmed that they dont even have a moral compass. Their community is so fearful they will chose something wrong that they have to control their every move. I think we as a society have to be careful with what laws are passed our we will be giving our freedoms up like they did.
Agree with the others 100%.
Nothing is worth sacrificing your freedom. What really struck me about this book is that the forefathers of the civilisation made the choice to give up their freedom. In so doing, they gave up their individuality and their ability to love. One of the major tenets of this society is to not lie, but I really think that -eveyone- is told to lie about some aspect of their lives, especially pertaining to their careers. Take away freedom, choice, and individuality, and you are left with a soulless society.
I just found this book ..... It reminds me of others on the same theme ...... the protection of a society , Should it pass by the loss of freedom individuated ? But, are we free, here and now? A society , which inhibits beings who compose (voluntary act or not) is a form of dictatorship, "hold the know, it is to hold power." Jonas will be the holder of knowledge.
the society is a individuate, diverse and varied set, allowing it to evolve, grow, if everyone is like (impossible, of course, by diffinition of humans) society is condemned to disappear .
Jonas lives in a society where the individual does not exist, or, human beings are robots, the most basic needs (such as relationships between people ) are stoper by pills,by laws.
This is my first comment on the book, I'll finish it , and can be reread, to fully understand the objectives. the message.
Seems like Shyamalan's The Village which has been allowed to last for generations meets Orwell's 1984 & Fahrenheit 451. 'The Community' controls their own weather, lack of animals, the humans continue to reproduce, but for what? I am curious about what the goal or original purpose for the community is to become so isolated from the rest of the world. Is it a futuristic factory town? Are they manufacturing something specific? Maybe caused by a major disaster on the other side of the river in the past? This book left me with so many questions, lol. Thank you for the recommendation. Oh, I'm looking it up & it seems like a series. I might have to continue trying to learn more about this world that the author has developed. (Still enjoying Kim Falconer's books immensely;) To sacrifice Freedom, Choice, & Individuality is not necessarily to live in peace & ease. Like the father having to lie about the reality of his work & the mother often having complaints, though they seem content enough. It is interesting how they have the family discussing their feelings each night.
