The Giver: An Analysis

Authoritarian societies are systems that are used to control the community of people and their education. Education in an Authoritarian Society is upheld by maintaining control of the hierarchy. This is done in three ways: sorting the citizens, justifying where and why they were put there, and validating the decision. In the 2014 motion picture The Giver, they live in a post-apocalyptic Authoritarian world and follow the three rules. “What is most difficult for the state to control- emotions and desires- are to be brought under control by teaching that they should be sacrificed for a higher ideal (Spring, 1999).” The members of the community take an injection every morning and know nothing of emotion, difference, evil, passion, etc. They have …show more content…
I choose this mostly because of the Allegory of the Cave idea. This idea suggests that the common people are locked in a cave for their whole lives, only shown shadows of what is real. They have no names for what any of the shadows are but believe in them because that is all they know. He who is considered a philosopher-king is the only person in the cave who is allowed to explore and find out the truths of the world. In chapter one of Wheels in the Head, it says “the goal of education is not to tell the individuals in the cave what truth is but to help them see the real objects (Spring, 1999).” This relates directly to The Giver because that is how the members of their society are all treated. For example, when Jonas’ father is showing an elephant to Gabriel he calls it a hippo because that is what the Elder has told them is right. The citizens believe the reality they are told. They have also been led to believe that murder is simply “release” and that older folks get sent to “elsewhere”, which is supposed to be a place of serenity. Really “elsewhere” is heaven. This is all they know because it is all they were ever taught. But when Jonas gets chosen to be the next receiver of memory, it is as if he is the philosopher-king who is allowed out of the cave. Finally he is learning the truth about everything going on in their society and everything that once was but no longer is, such as snow and …show more content…
During “childhood”, everyone is educated equally. They are not divided into class because everyone is considered equal. However, this can be applied to after they graduate from “childhood” because certain jobs in society hold more power than others. For example a birth mother would not need as much training as a military pilot. But the military pilot does not receive as much training as the receiver of memory. It is said in the movie that Jonas’ training for receiver of memory will be the most difficult, maybe even prove impossible if he is not fit to handle it. The occupation of birthmother would be iron or brass, the military pilot would be silver, and the receiver of memory would be gold. The citizens are sorted into jobs and are made sure they know their role and what is expected of them. Where they end up also determines how much information they are allowed to know. Jonas as the receiver of memory knows more than anybody else because his job is of the highest