Standing UP

The book  ''All Summer in a Day'' by Ray Bradbury takes place in Venus where the sun only came out after seven years of raining. There a girl named Margo lived and she was the only one that had seen the sun before because she was born on Earth. Because of that all the other kids hated her. One day the scientists said the sun would come out and only Margo believed them because of that the kids argued and at last locked Margo in a closet. After,  the sun did came out and the kids enjoyed it but it didn't last to long. Then it started raining again and the kids came inside where they found Margo locked and crying.

I really like how Bradbury used characterization to show how depressed Margo was it really creates a feeling in the reader of sadness, it  shows how the rain has changed her and has lost her vitality.''She was a very frail girl who looked as she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost''(2).



As well the quote '' It had been raining for seven years; thousand upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands''(1) This  made me picture dark days with continuos rain, and a world in which happiness doesn't exist, everything is dark, boring, sad and colors are forgotten.

This simple fiction story teaches people a wonderful message that kids need to learn; standing up. In this story no one helped Margo, no one even tried. Margo was just saying her opinion and because she was different kids didn't respected her. People nowadays need to learn about differences and accept, even embrace them. Many kids suffer from bullying and that can lead to serious effects, if people don't make a change bullying will take over more lives and destroy them.

ChAnGE

Even though it is very rare in the community today the have an unscheduled day and Jonas and the entire community are very pleased to get it. Now Jonas can see and keep all the colors and he has not taken the pills for about 4 weeks, the Stirrings are back and he receives embarrassing but pleasuring dreams. Then at dinner Mother and Lilly talk about their feelings and he realizes they have no real feelings and feelings aren't meant to be told but felt.  Then he goes meet with Asher and Fiona and they are playing a game about good and bad guys,  until now Jonas did not know it was a game about war. Fiona, Asher, and the entire community do things that are really bad without even knowing. After that Jonas tells Asher to stop playing because he really knows how tragic is war and have a little discussion about it. Then Jonas goes home and Father tells them about the release of a twin tomorrow morning, he weights the two of them and the smaller one gets released. This community could not have two people that are the same. Jonas believes release is a good thing, his father tells him the baby is happy in Elsewhere and a whole bunch of things. Next morning he goes to the Giver and start talking about the Giver's release and the communities' too. They continue talking until Jonas asks about the last receiver-in-training and what happened to her. The Giver told him what happened, her names was Rosemary and she was really nice, the Giver loved her. To start he only shared nice memories but part of training was to give her the painful memories too. Eventually he gave her painful memories and after five weeks he gave him a terrible memory and tried to end the day with a good one but those happy days were gone. That afternoon she went to the Chief Elder and asked for a release, she didn't had it as a rule and so she got it.  And all the memories she had were passed to the community, chaos was everywhere no one knew how to deal with all those feelings and so it became a rule for the receiver that can't be released.  The Giver was really sad about the story so they move on and for the first time Jonas will see a release. When they start watching through a screen he is very happy and proud of his father until he sees how his father weights the babies, gives the bigger one to a nurse and gives a shot to the smaller one and kills him!! Jonas is shocked at his dad’s actions, he wont go home tonight, he will stay with the Giver. That night they talk and create a plan to change the community, Jonas will go to Elsewhere, all the memories will be given to the people and society will change. At they are talking about how the Giver must stay to help the community get over the memories and his daughter Rosemary.

One of the most surprising parts of the book to me was when they showed how a release works. ''To his surprise, his father began very carefully to direct the needle into the tops of the newchild's forehead. The new born squirmed, and wailed faintly.'' (149)

As he continued to watch, the newchild no longer crying, moved his arms and legs in a jerking motion. Then he went limp. His fell to the side, his eyes half open. Then he was still. He killed it! My father killed it, said Jonas.'' (150)
I was shocked how this community killed babies, they lack scruples and morals. This community is so careless about life and are so selfish, they KILL babies just to keep SAMENESS. Jonas' father has no idea what he is doing, he has no feelings. I believe people have the right to live, and also this showed me how important memories are because they give you scruples and morals.

This community almost seems inhumane for me. Jonas and the Giver are the only ones awake they know the real world. How can people live without memories? Memories make you who you are and a reason to life. The people in this society live for the community to keep SAMENESS.  Jonas will sacrifice for the community because it really needs ChAnGe.

Familiy, Love and War

Now that I have read further into the book, the climax is starting. Jonas now has the ability to see colors in his everyday life, but that isn't it. He also receives memories of pain like an elephant being shot and one that's killing the Giver, the memory of war. Jonas can't believe how people could do that but still he somehow wants to shares the memories with the community. He once tried to share a memory with Lilly but didn't work then he tried with Baby Gabe and worked!! Gabe is like Jonas!! Also the Giver and Jonas talk about love and the Giver's favourite memory, family and Christmas. Jonas thinks love is a strong feeling but isn`t sure about so he stopped taking the pill to feel it for himself.





Chapters 13 through 16 really show indivuduality and now Jonas is starting to show he doesn't just has it but wants it. The quote '' If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic or a red one? said Jonas'' (97.) Jonas really show individuality as something good. He now believes choosing for yourself is good and that the community should have those rights. Yet other parts of the book show controversy because Jonas also gets to see the painful memories and knows that wouldn't benefit the community. I believe people shouldn't rely on others to take decisions and individuality makes you unique and special, additionaly makes your life have reason.

Click on the video to see individuality vs. conformity (sameness).

Jonas´ society is extremely weird, they don't have love, colors, animals nor anything that StAnDs OuT. This community is afraid, lives worried, waking up every morning for the community not themselves. How can people be happy in a world like this? 

Snow

Colors change the perspective of the world.

 Chapter 9 thru 12 really make you to never start reading. After the ceremony of twelve Jonas feels very different and weird. When he reads his rules he is really surprised especially the one about lying. After that he goes and meets The Giver. When he enters the studio where the Giver is waiting for him he founds millions of books and really surprises. Next the Giver shares the memory of snow to Jonas and he feels pleasure, then sunburn and feels pain. Jonas is very excited to learn more and then the Giver tells him about colours and how they used to excited and shares the memory of a rainbow to him. Colors used to exist in his world until everything turned into Sameness and also rain, snow and other weathers disappeared plus mountains. Jonas can't believe all the things the past had and how many more are awaiting for him.

While Jonas is talking to the Giver about snow, he asks why don't they have it here anymore and the giver responded ''Before Sameness. Before Climate Control'' (85.) This answer makes me wonder about the past history before this community started. It makes me think the Elders have many secrets of the past and that they can see in colors while the community can't. Also this makes me remember of the past failed Receiver and what happened to him. This community hides many things.

As I keep reading the book it introduces so many new ideas to me like a world without color. I wouldn't even imagine not seeing the sun yellow, nor the sky blue and looking at everyone the same. This community must have really suffered to turn their people almost to robots. Additionally it makes me remember of The Hunger Games and how there the government controlled over their people yet they had colours.

Click below to watch a video on the hunger games capitol fashion and colours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sinuJ2q88tg

The Ceremonies

This week Jonas and his family start by sharing their dreams, Jonas tells his parents about the stirrings and his dream about Fiona and he starts taking the pills. Then the Ceremonies begin, first the Ceremony of Naming and Placement, unfortunately little Gabe didn't got to the weight he needed and will stay another year at the nurturing center. Then the ceremonies of two, threes, fours, fives, sixes and sevens go through. Next the ceremony of eights begin and Lily happily receives her bicycle and new jacket. After that Jonas can't wait any longer to know what job will he get in the ceremony of twelve.  Then the ceremony of twelve starts and they begin giving the kids their assignments, Jonas is the nineteeneth in the list, but when is time t go to the stage, they skip their number and Jonas gets worried, afraid, and starts to wonder what did he do wrong? No one knows what happened, the Chief Elder NEVER made mistakes. Then after a long wait until they give all the assignments to the 50 kids, the Chief Elder apologizes to Jonas form getting him worried and tells him this happened because he will be the next Receiver, which normally doesn't happen, a rare selection. The Chief Elder tells Jonas he has the capacity ´´ to see beyond´´ and his training will involve physical pain. Jonas is very worried he isn't sure he can be the next receiver.

Reflection:

While reading chapter 5 throughout 8 ''individuality'' popped up various times. It surprised me how this society viewed individuality. The quote ''But today we honor your differences. They have determined your futures. ''(52) Made me think, even though this society is very strict they still accept differences and take care of finding the perfect job for that person. Yet I don't think it is right only to honor differences one day, we should respect them everyday because differences is what makes people be who they are.

As I read further one this book, in shows me all of its flaws. This book is a great example of an dystopian society, a world with tons of problems. People are almost robots, except for the Receiver. i can not imagine myself living in a world like that. Freedom is happiness, your own choices: freedom.

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Meeting with the Book

Jonas lives in a community that lives on rules. Everything is controlled even simple things such as  sharing your feelings at dinner with your family. In this society everyone is the same and has the same things, being different isn't good. In this community you can't have your own birthday everyone turns a year older each December until you reach 12 and you get an assigned job made by the Elders based on your volunteering hours and observations. Jonas is eleven and feels apprehensive about the upcoming ceremony, he has not a single clue to what assignment will he get. His parents try to calm him down by telling him how excited his father was when he was his age and the would get the assignment as a nurturer. Next Jonas' father brings a baby home to take care because he isn't growing rightly and he could be released and they talk about high status and low status assignment such as Birthmother or Nurturer. Jonas is very confused he doesn't know what job will he get since he spent most of his volunteer hours in many places because he liked to choose from many. After that he goes to The House of the Old and they tell him about the celebration of a release that morning and meets with Asher and Fiona, his friends.


''Well, they tried to make her life sound meaningful. And of course,'' she added primly, ''all lives are  meaningful, I don't mean that they aren't, But Edna.  My goodness. She was a Birthmother, and then she worked in Food Production for years, until she came here. She never even had a family unit.'' (31)
By reading this quote it shows me how society looked at meaningful lives. They care if that person has a meaningful job, forgetting  people don't even get to choose the job. they criticise people over the way they choose to live. This makes me wonder, why would people that live in a society which almost makes the choices for you would critize ones way of living?


Living in a society were I don't have freedom to choose almost anything is completely wrong. Everyone deserves the right to choose for themselves.  Also people deserve to have meaningful lives not because of the job you have nor the way you choose to live but of what is it important to you. How will Jonas feel when he gets his job, will his life be meaningful?

Interviewing The Giver by Lois Lowry

This books seems about a dystopian society. There everything looks perfect until Jonas receives the truth about the real pain and pleasure.  He will notice this world isn’t right, and try to change it but the society will reject him. Also based on what I read I can infer this book will include many emotions and will be easy to relate. The quote ‘’for all the children to whom we entrust the future." Which is the dedication means that children are the ones who can change, they are the ones responsible for building the world they way they want and their actions build the future, also it makes me think children are the ones with most imagination and creativity and making a prediction from the back of the book the place where Jonas lives is imagination-creativity free. Somehow Lois y maybe telling us some sort of moral or clue to the story. Moving on, based on my background knowledge I predict in this story Jonas and the past will uncover many details that will help solve the problem of the story which seems to be people have no choices.