Jonas’s world is called perfect. No feelings, no real knowledge, no animals, nothing special; that is the “perfect” world that Jonas lives in. Would one consider that perfect? After receiving memories from the Giver, Jonas learns so much about life he did not know, and he no longer thinks of his world as perfect. In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, Jonas learns the power of pain, sorrow, and joy through memories he receives from the Giver. First, Jonas learns the power of pain when the Giver gives him the memory of the broken leg. For example, after Jonas receives the memory of the sledding incident, he realizes, “They have never known pain” (Lowry 139). He now knows what pain feels like; this realization makes him feel lonely. His whole
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For instance, after Jonas watches his father perform a release, Jonas feels, “a ripping sensation inside of him, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry” (Lowry 189). Jonas watches his father “release” a baby and finds out that “release” is killing. Jonas can’t bare to see someone killed; this is the first time he has ever seen someone die when it wasn’t in a memory. He feels lots of strong emotions. He sobs, he shouts, he weeps, and he shudders. Jonas doesn’t quite understand that his father does not know he is killing a newborn, mostly because Jonas’s father does not know what killing is. Jonas finds himself not being able to fully control his emotions when he speaks rudely to the Giver. He isn’t meaning to but the sorrow has gotten to him and is causing him impulsive behavior. But that is exactly what the citizens do not have feeling like Jonas, so they cannot act hastily and make bad choices. Lastly, Jonas learns the power of joy when he experiences love. For example, after Jonas receives the memory of family, he says “I couldn’t quite get the word for the whole feeling of it, the feeling that was so strong in the room” (Lowry 157). The Giver then explains to him that the word he was looking for was love. Jonas knows that he likes the way love feels. Love gives him warmth and happiness, except that in this “perfect” world Jonas has not gotten to know love. Jonas wants
For instance, after Jonas watches his father perform a release, Jonas feels, “a ripping sensation inside of him, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry” (Lowry 189). Jonas watches his father “release” a baby and finds out that “release” is killing. Jonas can’t bare to see someone killed; this is the first time he has ever seen someone die when it wasn’t in a memory. He feels lots of strong emotions. He sobs, he shouts, he weeps, and he shudders. Jonas doesn’t quite understand that his father does not know he is killing a newborn, mostly because Jonas’s father does not know what killing is. Jonas finds himself not being able to fully control his emotions when he speaks rudely to the Giver. He isn’t meaning to but the sorrow has gotten to him and is causing him impulsive behavior. But that is exactly what the citizens do not have feeling like Jonas, so they cannot act hastily and make bad choices. Lastly, Jonas learns the power of joy when he experiences love. For example, after Jonas receives the memory of family, he says “I couldn’t quite get the word for the whole feeling of it, the feeling that was so strong in the room” (Lowry 157). The Giver then explains to him that the word he was looking for was love. Jonas knows that he likes the way love feels. Love gives him warmth and happiness, except that in this “perfect” world Jonas has not gotten to know love. Jonas wants