Utopia: an imagined place or state of thing in which everything is perfect. Except in this novel, they are living it. Jonas’s community names themselves a utopia. No color, love, or war. However, the most important thing they are missing is memories from the past. In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, Jonas learns that joyful, sorrowful, and painful memories are all very important.
Joyful memories are very important. They give us a positive outlook on life. Joyful memories are the first ones when Jonas first becomes the receiver. The giver starts out with giving Jonas simple, joyful memories. Such as happily sledding in to him, a weird substance called snow. In the novel jonas explains what is like; “Then the sled, with Jonas himself upon it, began to move through the snowfall, and he understood instantly that now he was going downhill. No voice made an explanation. The experience explained itself to him.”(103) Small, happy moments like this are very valuable and taken for granted by our society.
Sorrowful memories are also significant. They can be mournful, but …show more content…
Painful memories give us precaution to be more careful. One of the most painful memories Jonas had received was the same memory of snow, but later in the memory. Jonas goes through a tragic accident and breaks his leg and he was in a lot of pain. The story explains it as “ A hatchet lodged in his leg, slicing through each nerve with a hot blade. His agony he perceived the word “fire” and felt flames licking at the torn bone and flesh.” (137) This knowledge can now keep him safe if he ever comes upon another situation like this one.
Joyful, sorrowful, and painful memories are all very important, especially for Jonas’s “utopia” of a community. They help us become happy, have respect, and give us respect. Do you think Jonas’s community really is a utopia would you consider living there? Ask yourself, who would you be without
Joyful memories are very important. They give us a positive outlook on life. Joyful memories are the first ones when Jonas first becomes the receiver. The giver starts out with giving Jonas simple, joyful memories. Such as happily sledding in to him, a weird substance called snow. In the novel jonas explains what is like; “Then the sled, with Jonas himself upon it, began to move through the snowfall, and he understood instantly that now he was going downhill. No voice made an explanation. The experience explained itself to him.”(103) Small, happy moments like this are very valuable and taken for granted by our society.
Sorrowful memories are also significant. They can be mournful, but …show more content…
Painful memories give us precaution to be more careful. One of the most painful memories Jonas had received was the same memory of snow, but later in the memory. Jonas goes through a tragic accident and breaks his leg and he was in a lot of pain. The story explains it as “ A hatchet lodged in his leg, slicing through each nerve with a hot blade. His agony he perceived the word “fire” and felt flames licking at the torn bone and flesh.” (137) This knowledge can now keep him safe if he ever comes upon another situation like this one.
Joyful, sorrowful, and painful memories are all very important, especially for Jonas’s “utopia” of a community. They help us become happy, have respect, and give us respect. Do you think Jonas’s community really is a utopia would you consider living there? Ask yourself, who would you be without