A utopia is an imaginary place in which everything is perfect. Unfortunately, it does not exist. At least not in The Giver, a novel by Lois Lowry. This story takes place in a “Utopian” world where a boy named Jonas, discovers the truth behind his community only to find out that it is not what it seems. Lowry expresses release and the lack of individuality and freedom in this dystopian society. The citizens of this community have no individuality whatsoever. For instance, these people have no idea what feelings are, therefore cannot express themselves emotionally. They do not understand emotion because this community abolished the ability to feel. They cannot feel love, anger, sadness or anything like that. They even have pills so you do not feel anything towards another person, they call this feeling “stirrings”. Secondly, this community does not have music or color. Without color everything seems lifeless and same. Everything is black and white to them. They also do not have music which is one form of self expression. Finally, this community has something called Sameness. With Sameness, they eat the same food, wear the same clothes, have the same houses, and basically act the same. The only difference is their facial features. As Jonas points out “If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices” (Page 92). Which is true, people here are not given the chance to make decisions.
Freedom is another thing missing. In this community, people are not allowed to make difficult decisions for themselves. The government decides how you live. All of the families are arranged, which means you do not have the option to pick your spouse. You may also not have your own children, the government gives you children, with a limit of 2 of course. Also, people are not allowed to leave the community. This means that these citizens do not know anything beyond their community. Lastly, there are many rules in this community that prevent freedom. All they know is to follow the rules or to be prepared to be punished. They have rules like people cannot leave their homes at night without permission, you must not question things, and you cannot lie. Jonas says “He had never within his memory been tempted to lie” (Chapter 9). These people are very obedient because they know that if they break a major rule they risk being released.
Release is when a child or adult is injected with poison and they instantly die. Then, their body is put in a box and thrown down a chute. No one in this community but the Giver knows what death is, yet they can still apply for release. This is mainly done to newborn children and old people, only when a child is not healthy enough or an old person is “useless”. Release is also done to babies who are born twins. The twin that weighs less is the one killed. When Jonas first witnessed release “Jonas felt a ripping sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain.” This just comes to show how imperfect this community is. In conclusion, individuality is nonexistent in this community that does not have color, emotion, or music. Freedom is not an option for these citizens who have a government that makes all difficult decisions for them. Release is a cruel way to end the life of someone who hasn’t experienced anything real. The author, Lois Lowry, shows the inhumanity of release and nonexistence of freedom and individuality in this dystopian community.
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