Similarities Between The Giver And Modern Society

Take every emotion known and throw is away; that is exactly how society in The Giver works. Things function differently in Jonas’ society, the people there are use to equality and do not understand certain concepts like love or death. The “utopia” that Jonas lives on the other hand, in greatly contrasts with modern society; however, like most things, they also have some similarities. Feelings are something that people today are trying to be more in tune with, the same cannot be said for the society in The Giver. In the community where Jonas lives they have “the evening sharing of feelings” (Lowry, 4). Each night the family unit will sit around the table and share how they felt that day. This seems perfectly normal to Jonas for a majority of his young life, that is

When somebody reaches an elderly age, they are released with a ceremony. If someone breaks major rules 3 times, or doesn’t meet the elders (the people who make the decisions) satisfaction when they are a baby, then they get released. Since Jonas is the newest receiver he has special permission to ask if he can watch the release of a newborn child; the giver shows him the video of the release and Jonas is met with the troubled reality of what a release really is, death. “He killed it! My father killed it!” (Lowry, 150). Jonas is devastated, angry, and horrified by his new discovery and by the fact the people of the community aren’t even the least bit sad that they took a life. The Giver, although he doesn’t agree with it, tries to explain to Jonas that it’s not the people’s fault, “They can’t help it. They know nothing” (Lowry, 153). Even with this somewhat comforting information Jonas can’t help but feel disgusted. It is told that death is a real but uncommon thing in the society when a little boy dies from drowning in the river, but the community does not see death and release as the same