Jonas Character Analysis in The Giver (Essay Example)

“ To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is an accomplishment.” - Ralph waldo Emerson.  In the novel, The Giver, the protagonist Jonas can fully demonstrate this quote when he is given the title of the new receiver and begins to become his own person. Although the society of the giver believes that a life without discrepancies is in the best regard for its citizens, the theme of the giver is that conformity is detrimental to one's growth; consequently, Lowry summons readers to consider the societal topic of acquiescence through plot elements of characters, conflicts, and the resolution.

In the book, the giver, Jonas changes due to societal conflict, becoming increasingly more independent. On page 76, the giver says “Jonas has been chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory.” Jonas being elected for this title is the first action in the story that shows him gaining independence and his obvious portrayal of leadership. On page 162, it says “ The next morning, for the first time, Jonas did not take his pill.” When Jonas was given his pill for stirrings, he took to stay obedient to society, but when he realized the extent of the community’s desire to control, he ceased his use of the medication to be released from society's grasp. On page 204, it says “That night, Jonas was forced to leave.” When Jonas finally decided to leave his home, and all he'd ever known about his life, it revealed his intent to become his own person, and it allowed him to reach true safety, out of reach of the community's rule. All in all, the events listed were major parts of Jonas’ rise to independence throughout the novel.  Without these affairs, Jonas would have never been able to gain the confidence he needed to break the rules, become his own person, and try his best to save himself, and an innocent child, from execution.

The theme of the giver is that conformity is detrimental to one's growth. On pages 25-26, when Lowry says “No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals.” The society of the giver makes it a place where there is supposedly zero conflict or disagreement between the citizens of the community.  This happened again on page 98 when he says “We really have to protect them from making the wrong choices. Before Jonas was identified as the new receiver, he began obtaining memories from the giver about how life used to be, and he realizes that the value of the society will always be the same because of the “protection” they are given by the elders. The society of the giver makes it a place where there is supposedly zero conflict or disagreement between the citizens of the community. Finally, The author shows this on page 160, when Jonas thinks, “meaningless? He had never felt something as meaningful as that memory.” Once Jonas was made aware of the world around him, he was able to grasp the sheltered reality of the citizens in the society Jonas realizes that the community that he lives in is sheltered for the protection of the citizens, physically and emotionally, but also understands why you need conflict, and you need differences to grow, and to become what you are truly meant to be.

In many books, and even in societal reform today, conformity is becoming a more popular standard than one would expect. In the book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, citizens live in a government-controlled society, where community members live in a permanent state of superficial happiness. The government's control is demonstrated on page 69 when the Beattys boys say “The important thing to remember, Montag, is that we are the happy boys, the Dixie Duo, you and I and the others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make everyone unhappy with conflicting theories and thought. “ In an article written by Savannah Coulter, she explains the idea of conformity in North Korea;  “They have an intranet, not an internet. So the information they access is just basically inside North Korea.’ This single statement shows the reality for citizens of North Korea, and how conformity affects them daily. Finally, in an essay (speaking about women’s rights throughout the 19th century), written by a high school student in the UK, the author writes, “Their key purpose was to look for a husband, give birth and take care of their husbands throughout their entire lives. It was a taboo for a woman to remain single; in fact, single women were scorned and pitied by the society.” Society stayed this way, and until around 1910 women were seen as objects, being controlled by the male authority figure, conforming to the societal standard of that time. In real-world civilizations, along with many references in literature that we read every day, there are examples of conformity within the citizens, showing the reader how widely known the topic is, and how it can affect citizens' lives, negatively and positively.

In conclusion, the thesis of The Giver, by Lois Lowry is that conformity is detrimental to one’s growth. Without Jonas getting the opportunity to become the new receiver and break out of the society that he’s known his entire life, he would have never gotten the courage to stand up to what he believes in, and attempt to save Gabriel. Jonas becoming aware of his surroundings allowed him to grow into the person he was meant to be. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jonas met the greatest accomplishment when he continued to stay himself despite society’s influence.