The Giver
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What are some of the main ideas of 'The Giver'?
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Lydia
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May 06, 2008 01:58PM
Name and explain one or more main ideas of The Giver.
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Its not my homework... I'm out of school
i am a little confused as to what you are looking for. what do you mean main ideas? this is a discussion page and i can't seem to find what you are trying to discuss in your question. is there a specific idea or topic you are thinking of or did you not understand what the book was trying to convey?
Okay people, ever been to school? She's asking for you to search your brains and decide what YOU think the main ideas are.I think the main idea was about the tradeoffs people make for comfort. In this extreme case, this society never feels pain or hunger, and everyone gets work suited to them. But at what cost?
No extreme pleasure or pain? Those that don't fit in are "released" including babies that simply cry too much and don't sleep well.
Families are more social groups than families, there is no truly strong emotional bond. And even something as basic as a sex drive has been medicated away.
The price is too great.
Thoughts in no particular order:In this society, to save themselves from pain, they have banished passion. To keep from feeling fear they've banished ideas. To stop prejudice they've made everyone the same (remember how Jonas realized that he's the only one who can see or understand that his friend's hair is red?)
It's different from "those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it," it's more like "those who do not remember history (or anything else) are not ever going to accomplish anything, or enjoy anything truly."
To me, this book was exploring the concept of what a "perfect" world would be--no war, only peace, acceptance, and complete openness. Everything at exactly surface value. It's interesting to think about that--if there is no opposite, does the concept even exist? For instance, in an attempt to get rid of strife and discontent in relationships, the depth has gone from them--nobody truly loves each other anymore, and even families aren't real. Giving up bad things means forgetting what the good things really meant, and this book addresses the confusing, and certainly disturbing, concept of whether or not it's worth it. Can we really give up that much? And is it right to have one person bear all of the memories?
Jodie - reminds me that there is a REASON there is opposition in all things.Amanda - I like your take on the remembering history angle!
When I taught this book, we did a pre-reading activity where the students had to describe a rainbow to someone who was blind. It was an interesting exercise in how much we use our visual senses!
I think it was mainly about how over-protectiveness can be worse than the actual things you tried to protect people from.In the book, no one in that society understands anything about true pain, fear, grief, depression, etc. But by avoid true pain, they miss out on true happiness. Even though those emotions are horrible, without them, we miss out on the true joys in life because of all pleasures ends in pain (one of the major principles of Buddhism). Example: people weren't allowed to love because as wonderful as love is, it hurts equally bad when something awful happens, like they break-up with you, cheat, or die. But it's better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. In order to experience true pleasure, we have to take the risk that we might be setting ourselves up for tons of pain in the future. Pleasure and Pain are two sides of the same coin, so by protecting people from pain, you also take away their happiness.
What kind of existence is it to miss out on true happiness because were afraid of getting hurt?
Carly wrote: "I think it was mainly about how over-protectiveness can be worse than the actual things you tried to protect people from.
In the book, no one in that society understands anything about true pain, ..."
I completely agree with you
In the book, no one in that society understands anything about true pain, ..."
I completely agree with you
Andrea wrote: "Okay people, ever been to school? She's asking for you to search your brains and decide what YOU think the main ideas are.
I think the main idea was about the tradeoffs people make for comfort. ..."
can i use that idea for my book report?
I think the main idea was about the tradeoffs people make for comfort. ..."
can i use that idea for my book report?
An idea i thought of was a utopia and how perfect a world needs to be and how ours isn't as precise as theirs
I think that the main idea, or theme of "The Giver" is: With love comes pain and suffering, but it is worth it. I also think that a good theme for the book would be: Just because you are raised or told to think one way doesn't mean it's right.
Cee wrote: "I think it was mainly about how over-protectiveness can be worse than the actual things you tried to protect people from.In the book, no one in that society understands anything about true pain, ..."
I agree with you. The society wants a perfect world. They would rather have dull people than have them suffer. Therefore, they are not taught how to love. When Jonas experiences love, he feels alone because no one else knows how to love. Jonas, unlike everyone else (except for the Giver), sees that the society needs to change.
Main idea and Theme are two different things. The Theme of The Giver would include "with love comes pain and suffering but it is worth it," and could be viewed by the reader as a loss of innocence or coming of age story.
The main idea is a one sentence summary of the book very much like what you would see on the back of the cover or in a pitch. Here it would be something like, "12 year Jonah lives in a perfect world or so he thinks until he is assigned an important job in the community and he is the only one to learn the truth. He battles contemplating what is right or wrong for society."
Theme is a lesson that author wants you to learn and different books can share the same theme, but Main idea is unique to each book.
The idea of choices and how the people in that society have never experienced pain
To me the main idea of the book is the price of a "perfect" society, and if such a thing can ever truly exist. Layers of the society are revealed until you see it's hardly as perfect as it seems from the outside. And the society falls apart when the price for perfection gets to high, as happens en most dystopians.
The main idea is how much are we, as humans, willing to give and/or sacrifice to live in comfort and not know of pain.
Erin wrote: "Do your own homework."damn fam why so salty? Share the knowledge ;>>
Yo homes. Chill out. This just a book for 5 year olds. Erin.
Terisadivine wrote: "Erin wrote: "Do your own homework."damn fam why so salty? Share the knowledge ;>>"
I love you
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