Similarities Between The Giver And The Uglies

Benjamin Franklin once said, “They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” In The Giver by Lois Lowry and the Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, the leaders of both the societies took away basic human rights that belong to the people to create an anodyne and perfect world, forcing the people to live under an oppressive regime that controls every person’s actions, thoughts and individual feelings. In order to live in a seamless, immaculate world we would have to surrender many of our most treasured freedoms. The Giver teaches us that futuristic choices cannot be made without the knowledge of the past. It portrays that what might be considered an extreme kind of “sustainable” society, …show more content…
Having no memories, the community is dominated with strict rules, taking their independence. The people of the community have very little individuality and no freedom, and as a result choice is a foreign concept. The Elders believe that if they give people choice, they might select wrong. This is shown when Jonas starts questioning why choices aren’t given to everyone. “It’s the choosing that important isn’t it...We don’t dare to let people make choices of their own...” (Lowry 99). But choice is an instrument to humanity. The Elders think that by protecting the citizens from choice, the community would be safer, but free will is worth the risk that comes with choices. When the Elders took away choices, they also took away individuality. They took away all these things to create “Sameness”. The idea of “Sameness” is the thought of everyone being equal, no emotion, and the indication of no choices. The leaders wanted everything to be perfect but perfection spawns doctrines, dictators and totalitarian ideas, which is exactly what the community is. Jonas realizes this when he receives the memories and starts to realize the meaning of emotions and choices, “Our people