Diversity in The Giver Literary Analysis Essay
Is diversity the main cause of all our problems? Perhaps the world would be better if we were all the same. “The Giver” by Lois Lowery, shows a perfect example of what happens when sameness meets diversity, a change. Climate change, financial problems, discrimination were gone due to the sameness, but colour, free will, and feelings like excitement, bliss, and love left with it as well. After contemplating, I realised that the concept of sameness does more harm than good, even if you’re unaware that you’re being affected with it.
Diversity is what makes up our self identity, our personality, outlooks, beliefs, etc. Once Jonas received the memories he completely changed, he was slowly getting rid of the brainwashing of his “sameness” . “But the noise continued all around: the cries of the wounded men, the cries of begging for water and for Mother and for death.” Page 118, paragraph 7. Lois Lowry. The Giver. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1993. Jonas experienced war, based on the context clues like “wounded men” and in previous passages where he mentioned grey uniforms, blood, and horses with stab wounds I can infer that this was the Civil war, the soldier also may have been in the Confederate army as well. The memory gave Jonas pain, trauma and loss; great wisdom comes with great sorrow. Once he saw the bad things and good things (like experiencing sleighing and colours), he created himself a set of personal beliefs. Jonas became his own person, not a puppet made by someone else.
Cultures would be lost, holidays, traditions, food, clothing, language, arts: gone. Can you imagine a world without experiencing different cultures? There wouldn't be musicians like: Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, The Beatles, Queen, Louis Armstrong, Biggie Smalls, and so much more I can name off the top of my head! No chinese and Italian food, no Christmas and Hanukkah, no Van Gough and Micheangelo, NOTHING! “While Jonas watched, the people began one by one to untie the ribbons on the packages, to unwrap the bright papers, open the boxes and reveal toys and clothing and books. There were cries of delight. They hugged one another.” Page 123, paragraph 2. Lois Lowry. The Giver. In that memory Jonas was watching a family celebrating Christmas, that memory was filled with love and joy. After Jonas received that memory he began to contemplate the emotion of love; he wanted to experience it. Jonas then talked to Gabe about how things could be different, there can be love. Culture is what brings us together, it creates a variety of memories and emotions. Without culture there wouldn't be ourselves.
I keep talking about all the bad things that sameness brings, but there is one good thing about it I’ll admit: it solved a lot of big problems, but it also got rid of the good ones. It’s like what I mentioned in the beginning, things like hunger were gone but so were free will. “I want to wake up and decide things! A blue tunic or a red one?” Page 97, paragraph 5. Lois Lowry. The Giver. Something as little as choosing a tunic (in Jonas’ case) and something as big as choosing jobs and partners is something they don’t get to choose in their reality. Colours too, they didn’t decide to not see colours, the majority of them don’t even know what colours are! They don’t get to experience the wonderful things the world has to offer. They don’t have control over their own life!
If you were paying attention you may have inferred that all of my points are connected to one another. Without culture there wouldn’t be self identity, without free will there also wouldn't be self identity. It's a domino effect, meaning there’s so much more that the concept of “sameness” will effect. Now tell me, if you were given two choices of: being the same like everyone else, or being unique, which one would you choose?
