Book review on The Giver
Book review on The Giver
This book has raised lots of thoughts and questions in my mind:questions about my own life,my own future,my own family,my community,decisions I’m making,values I’m wondering for the first time.
At the beginning of the story,I find that the utopian community Jonas and others are living is rather good:everyone there has their family units,parents take good care of their children both in physical and psychological health.There is sharing time every morning and evening to call away the anxiety.Once you get hurt,you will accept the medical treatment in an instant.Everything runs so well.It almost changes my view on Utopia,for this community is quite unlike the one in Brave New World,as there’s no racial discrimination and felicity with no penalty.
However,as the story unfold,the seeming beauty of the community fades away and the dark side of it is uncovered.When Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of the memory,he gradually perceives that only he himself owns the memory of the whole community through the vast distance of space and time.He starts to feel sunshine,snowflakes,colors,death,happiness and other kinds of emotions.That’s when he starts to think and question.He asks the giver why can’t everyone feel the world around them,and he gets the answer”We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences.We gained control of many things and reached to Sameness but we had to let go of others.”He wishes they would change but they don’t want.Life here is so orderly,so predictable-so painless and it’s what they’ve chosen.
So what on earth is our world like?Are we blinded by something in order to get to the so-called Sameness or Existence?Are we trapped in the life path which satisfied the majority?Are we benumbed by what we take for granted?Once I heard the saying”Faced with life,most people seem like driving cars on the highway for fear of being left behind,however,not knowing where to go.”They are unaware of their traits,too lazy to think and explore the unknown.They just numbly follow the rules the rhythms of the society,and value what others value.
Thus in our era,we must open up a serene field for our spirits to think freely and independently.Don’t parrot what others say and see through the appearance to perceive the essence.
