Themes of Memory and Mortality in "The Giver"

“We can forget pain…And it is comfortable to do so. But I also wonder…Is it safe to do that, to forget?”

In the Giver Lowry effectively engages with the audiences by informing them into the key aspects of the novel memory and mortality and the importance of our actions that make us unique. “The Giver” By Lois Lowry was published in 1993, it is a dystopian novel about a young boy learning about the horrific events that are occurring in his community. Memory shapes our moral choices by learning from our mistakes. Morality, without morality were have no way of being able to compare right to wrong, there would be no laws, no money and everything would be unfair. As you can see love, faith, kindness, integrity and courage that doesn’t live In Jonas’s world because there is no justice in their dystopian world. the importance of our choices that make us unique, Jonas is at the maturing age where he has the right to be curious and want to experience the world. Jonas is aggravated with the way his society is run, restricting the ability to experience life and have freedom. Through exploring the themes of the memory to explore his emotions supporting the comfort of his lifestyle giving the opportunity to Forget pain.

One of the main aspects that Lowry has included within his novel is the importance of memories. Memories are an event that you have remembered of the past, hence why it is important that it is enforced within this novel as Lowry engages with the audience to help us understand the impact of memories and how it can untie humans together or pull us apart. The aspect of Memory is supported by the quote “Why do you and I have to hold these memories” “It gives us wisdom” The Giver said, through the use of a rhetorical question to engage the audience within the topic of memories and helps them develop deeper thoughts about the importance of memory. The Giver truthfully understand the important need for memory. This helps Jonas to have faith in the Giver learning about the true aspects of the human race learning about joyful and painful memories. Jonas doesn’t want to live the way that his people are living, he wants to be free like the memories that he received. In his memories you had a choice to do what is right or deal with the consequences, but in his time, it is just deal with consequences. There is no choice, there are no rights it is just do what you are forced to do. In the quote, “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” Through the use of truncated sentences enforces the importance of the effect of memories and the complete loneliness of it all, this relates to Jonas as he feels strongly against the society and feels a sense of loneliness within this dystopian world. Therefore, through examining the aspect of memories it allows the audience to comprehend Lowry’s techniques into allowing us to understand the significance of memories.

In the Giver Lowry has included the aspect of mortality in his novel, as Jonas experiences death within his lifetime this has an impact on his perspective of his community. In the novel Jonas realised that Gabe’s sibling was killed by Jonas’s father, at a young age due to slows development. Supported by the quote “He Killed it! My father Killed it!” through the use of repetition emphasises the importance of “Killed it”, this explores the impact that mortality has on Jonas’s life making the audience feel sympathetic towards the citizens of the society. In the Giver Jonas understands the releasing of the old people, isn’t necessarily meaning the releasing into a pleasant environment but it meant to releasing of an elder’s life, maintained by the figure “a contributing citizen to be realised from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure” through the use of juxtaposition compares the ‘Contributing Citizen’ to become a ‘statement of failure’ shows the audience the overall attitude of the society. Therefore, through the examination of Mortality effectively shows the importance and the impact it has on Jonas’s life.

Overall, in the Novel the giver written by Lois Lowry effectively includes the impact of memories and mortality and the importance it has on the audience. In the dystopian novel Jonas experiences a confronting truth about his society. Memories are gained through the Giver allowing him to receive vulnerable memories to help have a deeper understanding of life. Lowry has included morality to help express realistic emotions and the challenge of getting through the suffering of one’s death. Jonas conflict with his society hence his courage to escape from his dystopian society. Resulting in these themes has impact on the composition of Lowry novel engaging thoroughly with the audience allowing them to understand the importance of memories and mortality.   

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