Examples Of Sameness In Pleasantville

Every glare our eyes take, every move our bodies makes, every thought our mind thinks, every noise our mouth makes, it’s all controlled by us, but what if it wasn’t? What if we were only allowed to glare at certain things, move or act in a certain way, only think about certain things, and only say certain words? What would our lives be like this? People would be the same, even days would be the same, creativity would be lost, imagination wouldn’t exist, thoughts would no longer happen and we would no longer have control over ourselves. Through reading a novel by Lois Lowry titled The Giver and watching a film directed by Gary Ross titled Pleasantville, we learn about a place where this is the harsh reality of everyday life of the many characters. …show more content…
Not only a routine with your actions but a routine with everyone around you and all interaction you have with society. Sameness. What is defined as lacking in variety or living in the state or quality of being the same, has become the lives of characters amongst many stories and films leaving the audience with a thought to reflect on in their own lives. What makes each human special and unique is not only our appearances but our actions and thoughts. Sameness can define the way a society looks, feels, acts and interacts with one another. If similar looks appear amongst a society the quality of being unique is lost as now a “norm” is created. If the way people feel and limit feelings is under strict guidelines people are not able to show who they are as they simply don't know how as there are set created emotions that they are only allowed to show. Meaning is lost when people are told how to feel and act. A simple greeting can turn from a greeting to a script losing meaning and purpose. Through the tales of a boy living in a community where sameness is demonstrated in everyday living. Jonas lives in a society where age categorizes what you do in your everyday life. Whether you reach a certain age and wear a sweater that buttons down the back or front or receive you first bicycle there is a set order of living. This order is not broken nor changed so, the people of the community have become accustomed to it. The rules of his community have also forced the people into rituals that have no longer symbolized something special, but what now seems to be more like a chore. This kind of routine and sameness has taken away aspects of living. Children growing up follow their set guidelines of what they are told to follow reducing their freedom and aspects of being a child. When you