Jonas’ Community in The Giver Essay Sample
“Because of the horror of Communism, Stalinism is not that bad people do bad things— they always do. It's that good people do horrible things thinking they are doing something great” - Slavoj Zizek. Leaders are not aware of what bad they are doing. Putting everyone in the same mold of a society is a good idea in their ideology but in reality, just causes mess and destruction of human individuality. Human rights are ignored. In the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry, Jonas’ community is an example of a totalitarian society.
Jonas’ community cannot decide things for themselves (The elders control every decision). All people, when they turn twelve, have a job assigned to them. The Elders of the community observe them to pick which job best suits them. Most of the community grows up and has a spouse and children assigned to them: “When I finish my training and become a full adult, I'll be given my own dwelling. And then when Lily does, a few years later…and maybe a spouse, and children if she applies for them”(122). In a dictatorship role, the people are given homes, they cannot choose. Everything is provided. The free will of people is taken away.
In Jonas’ community, people are brainwashed to think that killing is to be released. One example is Jonas’ dad had to choose between two babies, and he chose the heavier one to live: “Jonas realized that he was hearing the answer to the question…He pushed the plunger very slowly, injecting the liquid into the scalp vein until the syringe was empty”(142). He did not know he was killing the child. When he was assigned, Jonas’ dad didn’t have the authority to say it was wrong. When people in the House of Old get too old, they get released. The people even in the House of Old don’t know that they get killed. Roberto was very healthy for his age as well. Jonas’ society is taught to think they are sent Elsewhere, not killed.
When someone in the community is misbehaving, they are released for the better: “a pilot in training had misread his navigational instructions and made a wrong turn…Needless to say, he will be released”(3). He made a silly mistake that is not a big deal, and he is dead because of this. There is no room for error and people become scared to mess up because of this. In response, they do not go against the rules the Elders have put in place. The Elders put this power over them to control them in a bad way.
Jonas lives in an oppressive society. They cannot decide for themselves. Jonas’ community is brainwashed to think killing is ok and they're going to a better place. And when someone in the community has done something wrong, they get punished. People are to be the same, not individual. Information on the outside world is restricted. These governments are wrong, taking away everything. Human rights are ignored. People who think Jonas’ community is normal are incorrect. The obvious signs of oppression are clear.
