Throughout both literature and the real world, humans have attempted to create a utopia, an ideal society or world where no negative aspects are evident. More literally, utopia means no place or nowhere. An example of a utopia can be seen in both the book and film adaption of Lowry’s The Giver, however, the society presented in The Giver is not a true utopia but rather, a dystopia. This is due to a plethora of reasons, including the mask that shrouds the idea of death, the fact that differences aren’t embraced, and the removal of memories. Some might believe that the aforementioned statement is untrue, as the removal of memories allow for the citizens to live an ignorant yet blissful life. However, this is false, as a person’s emotions are what allows them to experience life as a individual, and to be deprived of this is not utopian.
As seen in Lowry’s The Giver, citizens are misled, being told that the ceremony of release is a departure to elsewhere, which is not utopian. Elsewhere is a falsehood which doesn’t exist, while the ceremony itself is used as a facade to mask the idea of death. Jonas reacts in shock when shown the truth behind release, being said to have ”...felt a rippling sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to …show more content…
By doing so, citizens are less human in ways. In the film, during a conversation between the Giver and Jonas, Jonas questions, “If you can’t feel, what's the point?” (Lowry). The keeping away of memories causes Jonas frustration, as he wanted everyone to experience the things he had, even at risk of all the bad memories. The removal of memories disallows for citizens to experience everything that they could have without sameness intact, enabling them. This is a negative fixture of Jonas’ society, making his community to be not a utopia, but a
As seen in Lowry’s The Giver, citizens are misled, being told that the ceremony of release is a departure to elsewhere, which is not utopian. Elsewhere is a falsehood which doesn’t exist, while the ceremony itself is used as a facade to mask the idea of death. Jonas reacts in shock when shown the truth behind release, being said to have ”...felt a rippling sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to …show more content…
By doing so, citizens are less human in ways. In the film, during a conversation between the Giver and Jonas, Jonas questions, “If you can’t feel, what's the point?” (Lowry). The keeping away of memories causes Jonas frustration, as he wanted everyone to experience the things he had, even at risk of all the bad memories. The removal of memories disallows for citizens to experience everything that they could have without sameness intact, enabling them. This is a negative fixture of Jonas’ society, making his community to be not a utopia, but a