Recently, our class had finished reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. However, I don't agree with some of the decisions that the characters have made in the novel, along with the ending. First off, I do not agree with how much food Jonas took. He doesn't know where he is going or how long it will take to get there, he clearly did not bring enough food, and later had to hunt for his food. Also, I don't agree with the idea that he decided to wait after the ceremony to start getting memories because he was not very prepared when the time came. Finally, I disagree with the way that the book ended. The final paragraph in the novel (page 225) says, "Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo." The ending does not tell us anything about what will happen to Gabriel and Jonas, and doesn't tell us about what happened back at the community. Hopefully, the other novels in this series will answer this for me.
0 Comments
Our class is nearing the end of reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. We recently read how Jonas took Gabriel and rode off away into somewhere far away from the community. The first question that I have is about what they are going to do. Are they going to be looking for a new community, or just going to become nomads? I have also been wondering about how will they survive much longer. They do have food, but not enough that it can last them a lifetime. They only took leftovers from doorsteps that they took on the way. In the novel, it says, "Second, he had robbed the community of food... even though what he had taken was leftovers set out on dwelling doorsteps for collection." pg 207. Also, the boys cannot go back to the community because they will surely be killed. Hopefully everything will end up fine for Jonas and Gabriel.
While reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, I was beginning to see why the author wrote the book. The book is based on memory, and also takes place very far into the future. I have learned that somebody in Lois Lowry's family had alzheimers and did not remember much. She also thought about the future, and how many memories of good and bad times can be forgot. The Receiver and Giver are very important because they have memories of the past, if something were to happen, they could use memories of the past to prevent bad things happening in the future. These jobs are very important in the community. In the novel, it says, "'They need me. And you,' The Giver said, but didn't explain."pg 130. I am starting to understand where Lois Lowry got the ideas in the novel
Our class is still reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. Throughout Jonas's training, he has been receiving memories that take place in our times. For example, he had memories of sled riding, sunshine, and elephant hunters. The setting of The Giver is obviously in the very distant future. In the novel, it says, "'...And to the previous Receiver. And the one before him.' 'And back, and back and back,' Jonas said..."pg 133. It also must take place in a utopia, or another perfect community. Everything is tried to be kept perfect and the same, even people. Everything in this novel will be clearer as long as we keep reading The Giver by Lois Lowry.
This week, our class continued on reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. After the most recent chapter, I was left in shock. Jonas was skipped over during the Ceremony Of Twelves, which confused me already. When I found out why, I was dumbfounded. They explained how he was chosen to be the new Receiver of Memory. He is to be isolated, and to experience real physical pain. In the novel, it says, "'...the training required of you involves pain. Physical pain." pg 78. I am wondering about what the Chief Elder means about the pain that Jonas must be put through. I also question about what the Receiver of Memory does. The only way that I will be able to find out is through continuing to read The Giver by Lois Lowry.Our class continued to read The Giver by Lois Lowry. Every morning, the family goes through a "morning ritual" in which they eat breakfast and talk about the dreams they had over the night. After Lily shares her dream, mother shares hers, father does not have a dream to share, and finally it is Jonas's turn to share his. His dream was about a girl, and his mother explains to him that he is going through something called the Stirrings. In the novel, mother says, "'The feeling you described as the wanting? It was your first Stirrings."pg 47. The Stirrings remind of something teenagers go through in the real world. The Stirrings remind me of puberty, and how it affects the mind of people within the age group. The way the Stirrings are described is very similar to puberty, however, in The Giver the feelings are prevented by taking pills to get rid of them, unlike the real world. I wonder what else we are going to read in The Giver by Lois Lowry.Our class continued to read The Giver by Lois Lowry this week. Chapter four continued with Jonas finding where his friend Asher was spending his final few volunteer hours at. Jonas finds Asher and Fiona at a place called the House Of The Old. The novel only described things like the carpeting, and I would like to know much more about how the House Of The Old looks like. I would not only illustrate that, but also illustrate what the bathing room(s) look(s) like. Since it doesn't matter that the elders' bodies are exposed, are there private bathtub sections. Maybe, it is just a room filled with bathtubs everywhere. In the novel, it states, "And the nakedness, ...did not apply to newchildren or the Old." pg 39 I still have so much yet to learn about the book, and the only way I can find that out is if I continue reading. Throughout reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, I was able to ask many questions. One question was about the birth mothers. I wonder why they are looked down upon. They should be honored much more because they have to go through so much to have children. When Lily said that she wants to be a birth mother, mother said, "'Lily!' Mother spoke very sharply. 'Don't say that. There's very little honor in that assignment.'" pg 27. In today's times, pregnant women are given very much respect. I also wonder how everything is situated. I do not get how they would react if something like a plague broke out. While reading, I was able to ask a few questions.
So far, what I can predict about The Giver by Lois Lowry, is that is a mysterious novel. It is also very confusing because not much information is given in the beginning of the book. In the novel, it says, "Two children- one male, one female- to each family unit. It was very clearly written in the rules."pg 11 I don't get why the rules must be so strict about family, also I get confused why people are assigned to families and aren't born into them. Maybe, the more we read, the more will be revealed to the people living in this utopia about the outside world, and what being released really means. The whole "utopia" of the setting of The Giver gets me wondering about the rules that must be followed if you do not want to get released. Everybody must be up to par, even newborn babies that can't help it. I am anticipating to read more of this novel to get to understand it more. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2017
Categories |