Narrative essay

English 11/12

10/31/2017

A world without memories, colors, knowledge, and a group of people called “Elders” who control everything, this is the world in Lois Lowry’s, The Giver. Jonas, like every child in the community, was born from a Birthmother. Jonas is adopted by a mother and a father. Later in his life his parents adopt a sister named Lily. He follows the same, dull life as everyone in the community until the age of 12 when he is selected to be the Receiver of Memory.Jonas was not assigned a job; he was selected. Due to the selection of being the next Receiver of Memory, he lost many pleasures. Everything was different for him after he was selected. The people in the community believed that being the Receiver of Memories is a honor, but it was ultimately a punishment.

Jonas's assignment became a punishment when he began to receive the unpleasant memories of the Giver. The Giver was the Receiver of Memory before Jonas and now he become The Giver and will give all of the memories of the world to Jonas. The Giver could no longer bear the pain of all the memories and that pain would have to be transmitted to Jonas. Jonas’s first real painful memory was a situation of warfare where he was laying on the ground seriously injured. He felt pain from his injured arm, and he was forced to see one of his comrades die. When Jonas learned what warfare meant, being the Receiver of Memories became a punishment. "He did not want the memories, he did not want the pain ... he sat alone in his house because he had been selected as others before him, to carry his burden". He felt the pain of these memories and he didn’t want to be part of the community anymore.

The selection of the Receiver of Memory is a punishment. When Jonas was growing up he loved the order of the community and the organization it had. “ We are all aware that Jonas has been a top student throughout his school days.” Jonas has always thought and done well of his community but when he realizes the lies that were told, his opinion changed. “With an odd, shocked feeling, Jonas recognized the gestures and postures and expression...the little twin lay motionless.” “It's the way they live. It's the life that was created for them.” Jonas had just watched the recording of a morning release of a twin done by his father. The community was taught that a release was sending someone to a place known as “Elsewhere” but as Jonas watched the recording and saw his father giving the shot to the newborn, he realized that he had killed the infant. This changed his perspective, and influenced Jonas greatly so that it urged him to change the community and release the memories to the community.

Being the Receiver of Memory can be a honor because there is only one receiver in the community. “He is to be alone, apart, while he is prepared by the current Receiver for the job which is the most honored in our community.”

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