The Giver- Individuality versus Conformity

Within the first 5 chapters of the Giver, a major theme shown is individuality versus conformity. It is better seen to be just like everybody else than to be unique and different. This is where Jonas feels a little left out, because he is slightly different, and beginning to realize it. The first difference seen is when Jonas's father brings home the newborn, Gabe, from the nurturing centre and his little sister, Lily, draws attention to Jonas's and Gabe's similar eyes. They both have light, pale eyes, which are uncommon in the community of dark eyed people. Jonas's finds it very rude of Lily to call attention to such things that are unsettling or different about individuals.

"Now, seeing the newchild and its expression, he was reminded that the light eyes were not only a rarity but gave the one who had them a certain look- what was it? Depth, he decided; as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet. He felt self-conscious, realizing that he, too, had that look."(pg. 21)

Here, I believe that Lowry is foreshadowing future events that those with these "pale, solemn, knowing eyes" that have depth, may see and understand things that most people can not.

Another difference about Jonas that Lowry describes is the changing of the apple. She does not describe how it changes, because in Jonas's point of view, its simply a strange occurrence that is different, but something he has never seen before."But suddenly Jonas has noticed, following the path of the apple through the air with his eyed, that the piece of fruit had- well, changed. Just for an instant." (pg. 24) Jonas's uneasy feelings and the hints that he is different from everybody else, also adds suspense to the novel. "... and with his laughter tried to ignore his uneasy conviction that something had happened. But he had taken the apple home, against the recreation area rules." (pg. 24-25)

But, Jonas is not the only person who is seen as different in this community of sameness. People all through the community are noticing some differences in others. When Jonas is at the House of Old, the woman he is bathing, Larissa, talks about how everyones life has meaning, but some more than others. She describes how a man, who had just been released had an amazing life. Whereas another woman that had been released had only been a birth mother and who's life had very little meaning. The fact here is that these releasing ceremonies are meant to make each person's life sound meaningful, when they have all lived meaningless lives in a community of sameness. Also, the way that Larissa speaks of each person shows that even though this community is supposed to be a place of uniformity, people do judge each other and are subconsciously aware of each others differences.

The Giver- Jonas's life and rules compared to ours

Rules in our society are lax. People are not forced to obey all laws. Even though it is always prefered that rules are followed, people still easily get away with breaking them. In the novel, The Giver, nobody gets away with breaking rules, or at least very rarely. Their rules are also very much more strict and controlling than those in which we are used to. A lot of these rules are to keep complete control over the community in a way in which the people in the community are unknowing of many things outside the community. For one, animals are unknown mythical creatures. "Lily considered, and shook her head."I don't know. They acted like...like..." "Animals?" Jonas suggested. He laughed...Neither child knew what the word meant, exactly, but it was often used to describe someone uneducated or clumsy, someone who didn't fit in." (pg.6)
Some of the rules that applied to family households were; only one girl and one boy to each family, a feeling ritual must be held every evening, and a dream telling ritual must be held every morning. These were to keep things in order with families. Children were given to the parents, who were matched by the Elders, and they had to express their feelings with each other, keeping nothing private. Then if the children started having "stirrings", which really are when their hormones start kicking in, then they must be treated with daily pills that make the "stirrings" go away. "Stirrings. He had heard the word before. He remembered that there was a reference to the Stirrings in the Book of Rules, though he didn't remember what it had said. And now and then the speaker mentioned it. ATTENTION. A REMINDER THAT STIRRINGS MUST BE REPORTED IN ORDER FOR TREATMENT TO TAKE PLACE." (pg. 37)
Then there were rules according to ages. For instance; 8 year olds had to have their "comfort object" taken away and recycled to the newborns, 9 year olds had to get their first bicycle, and little girls had to wear hair ribbons and they had to be tied tightly. Then what Jonas himself is going through is the "Ceremony of 12's" where each 12 year gets assigned a specific role in the community. In our normal society we get to choose our own jobs, but in The Giver, The Elders watch all the children's progress with their volunteer hours that they start when they are 9, therefore being able to tell where they will work well in the community.
So therefore, because of all these rules that the society in The Giver follow, it has become very controlled and nobody has any rights to privacy, or really anything else. Everything is controlled by only one person, who later will be introduced as the giver. But that's for another blog later.