Amanda Condon
Sociology
Phase III- “The Giver” by Lois Lowry Society is defined as a complex patter of social relationships that is bounded in space and persist over time or people who interact in a defined territory and share culture. The Giver is a science fiction book that was written by Lois Lowry and published in 1993. The setting is in the future where the society seems to be idealistic in the sense of there being no crime or monetary values that cause conflicts within the society itself. It is considered rude to ask a question that However, as the story progresses, the horror of a perfect society is realized by the main character Jonas. The society Jonas has grown to know is one without pain or suffering. It has been stripped of knowledge in the efforts to make each citizen the same as another citizen. Jonas is a twelve year old boy throughout the novel, taking his place in his given position of becoming the next “Receiver of Memory” or the one person selected to receive all of the memories of life before the society transformed. They have turned to “Sameness,” where only the Receiver will know the feelings of pain, suffering, and joy. This world is colorless, all marriages are arranged, and children are designated to family units strategically. At the age of twelve, kids are assigned their jobs for life and are no longer viewed as children. Jonas meets the previous receiver or as referred to in the story the “Giver.” The meetings with the Giver leave Jonas with a curious imagination and questions about why the society has been stripped of choices and knowledge. He is faced with a dilemma about this newfound knowledge he gains from the Giver. The story reflects his struggle on whether he should live life without color and choices or if he should flee to where he can live life to the fullest extent. The collective conscience throughout this formed society is one where if the society was unable to make choices and see the world in color, they would live in a highly sustainable and safe world.
The society to me reflects a structural-functional theory for society because of the functions set in place keep the society functioning without chaos and with equal opportunity. By taking away freedom of choices, the author created a world with constructed barriers to express how a society could function peacefully if the society itself was stripped of its valuable freedoms. However, there is a huge conflict theory that Jonas discovers once he gains the knowledge from memories. For example, when certain members of society don’t fit, like the child Gabriel in the story not sleeping through the night or a person that is too old, they are “released” into a place called “Elsewhere.” This is where they are killed. The story almost reflects a eugenic society where only the elite are allowed to live within the society.
