Real Pain

The Giver is still passing on memoriews to Jonas, as time passes the memories transmitted become stronger, like poaching, opposing to the first paiunful memory Jonas recieved (sunburn). Jonas feels really conflicted, why were some things taken away, like color? why does he have to endure all of that pain? Also Jonas is trying to make his friends see what he sees, to transmit the memory of color, but for some reason he can't. Frustrated as he is he goes home that day to find his parents talking about how Gabe has improved but he is still too restless at night. Jonas volunteers to take gave to his room that night so his parents can finally rest. as the night goes on Jonas accidentally at first transmits memories, happy memories, to Gabriel. Now he sleeps soundly in his room. Afterward, after receiving the terrible memory of warfare, the giver gives Jonas the memory of Christmas. In this memory Jonas discovers love. He really enjoyed the feeling of love, and he wanted to feel that again. Jonas decides that he will not take his pill for stirrings anymore, to feel whatever he is supposed to without the mind control of the elders.

To understand what Jonas is feeling here is the link to a song about freedom:
Freedom-Anthony Hamilton









This book, as one important concept, talks a lot about the connection between pain and pleasure. "Overwhelmed by pain, he lay there in the fearsome stretch for hours, listened to the men and the animals die, and learned what warfare meant" (pg. 120). This quote took me back to another book I love, "The Fault in Our Stars". In this book there is a strong quote that relates towards pain:  This quote is very true, and I think that throughout the training to become the receiver, Jonas will soon learn that the real world, the not controlled world is filled with pleasure and with pain. The truth of the matter is that to know real pleasure, you need to have felt real pain. Jonas sees that now, but nobody else in the community, besides the Giver, can understand what he is going through. How could they? Because of Sameness they don't feel pain, they really don't feel anything legitimate, only what is allowed.

There is one thing left on my mind, once Jonas discourse the real meaning of life, how will he make the rest of the community realise that too, if memories cannot be transmitted to them? How will Jonas  make his friends believe him and not report him as a crazy, confused boy? I guess everything is in Jonas' hands now, we will just have to wait and see.

A New World

Jonas is nervous. he was given the assignment or as his mother calls it, the honor, of being the Receiver of Memories. As he reads through the rules he realises his whole world will change, he cannot share any of his dreams anymore, he is now allowed to lie (this rule makes him very uncomfortable) and now he can ask any question, even very personal questions, and he will receive an answer. Jonas goes to his 1st visit to the Receiver of Memories training. A new world is opened before his eyes, the elder training him transmits memories to him, of things that don't exist anymore, that have been eliminated or changed. Jonas learns what snow is, what a hill and a sled are. These things have now disappeared because the community lives in sameness.

I remember that te receiver of memories needed the ability of seeing beyond. In pg. 91 Jonas says "Then today, just now, outside, it happened with my friend Fiona. She herself didn't change, exactly. But something about her changed for a second. Her hair looked different; but not its shape, not its length. I can't quite -......... it changed. I don't know how or why." To me, at the moment, it seemed like it was like Jonas had a super power that only the people who where able to be receivers of memory possessed whatever it was. Later on we learn that Jonas is talking about color. This community is so concentrated in sameness that they took away all the color, from everything. Could you imagine a colourless world? No green trees or red roses. everything would be the same. I think that taking color away from people is simply too much. how can color not be part of the so called perfect society? The community rules are so oppressive not even color is allowed. I believe through this the author wants to transmit the discrimination the world we live in has against differences. without color there would be no racism, like we have in our present day world. I find the missing color is a very contradictory concept, it may help but it is still too extreme for my opinion.

Changes

Everything in Jonas' life seems to be changing. he started taking pills for something called stirrings, and he has to for the rest of his life. He will be given his assignment and have more responsibilities upon him because of it. The ceremony of twelve came upon them, and Jonas didn't receive his assignment, instead he was elected, by the committee of elders to be the next receiver of memories. This selection is very rare and the most important thing in the community. Jonas is full of mixed feelings and he is not shure what will happen next, and has no idea of what to expect.

"She skipped me, Jonas thought, stunned. Had he heard wrong? No. There was a sudden hush in the crowd, and he knew that the entire community realized that the Chief Elder had moved from Eighteen to Twenty, leaving a gap" (pg. 57). Why is the whole community so startled that someone supposedly (later we learn that she actually did not make a mistake) made a small mistake? She is only human. We humans all make mistakes at some point in our lives.Mistakes teach important lessons, it is part of growing up and becoming who we want to be. Mistakes can shape people into who they are today, mistakes make people grow. without mistakes we would never know right from wrong and we would never learn what is better and what is worse. I can assure you, you will never find anyone that has never made a mistake in their whole lives, it is simply impossible.

Ask yourself, what is life without mistakes? What is the point of doing things if you never learn anything new? What would life be with out taking risks and living adventures? Life would not be our own. Humans would not be living, we would only be surviving.