Giver Theme Blog

Jonas is a dynamic character, because he developed and changed in the end. According to The Giver, “Though he had been reassured by the talk with his parents, he hadn't the slightest idea what Assignment the Elders would be selecting for his future, or how he might feel about it when the day came” (19). Jonas at first had no thought and consideration for other people. He was a bit selfish in the beginning because all he cared about was what job he was going to get by the Elders and nothing more. There weren't any times where he cared for any other person but himself.

On the other hand, once Jonas was given these memories for a whole year, he started to development and change because of these memories. He started to become selfless and care for other people. According to The Giver, “He wept because he was afraid now that he could not save Gabriel. He no longer cared for himself” (174). This shows he changed from being selfish to selfless. In this moment, he cares and is concerned for Gabriel's well being. All he wants is to keep him alive and nothing more, his number one priority is Gabriel.

One of the themes of The Giver was the importance of memories. The importance of memories relates a lot on how the characters develop. According to the book, “Although he had through the memories learned about the pain of loss and loneliness, now he gained, too, an understanding of solitude and its joy” (122). This proves that he learned from all these memories he has lived through. That not all memories are happy and joyful, some are painful and nerve wrecking. He came to the realization that pain is a terrible feeling compared to joy and that developed his character.

This same theme ties into the setting as well as the characters. According to the book, “it’s true it has been this way for what seems forever. But the memories tell us that it has not always been” (154). This tells us that this “utopia” isn't what it seems. It doesn't give people the freedom and will our society gives us. It keeps people in the dark and affects the setting because what the “government” does to its citizens forms them into robots basically. They have nothing that makes a person an actual person. They have been forced to live the same lives as the rest of the population and has been this same cycle for what I think to be as long as this community has lasted.

This same theme also ties into the plot of the book. According to the book, “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared” (154). This was the mean struggle the book had Jonas face. To stand up to this so called “government” and keep their fire end in the light instead of the dark. They have no right to keep the memories of the past to only selected people because you need to right the wrongs of the past to fix the future. To end the conflict, Jonas left hoping these memories can be released to the public.