The Dystopian Societies “‘[Jonas’s society] relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences.’ He thought for a moment. ‘We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others’” (Lowry 95). In order to make everything have sameness, Jonas’s society had to get rid of many, many beautiful works of art. Although modern society has some similarities with The Giver’s society, the differences in feelings, choices, and individuality are what make The Giver’s society truly a dystopia. To begin, the way in which each society acknowledges birthdays reveals its attitude towards individuality. For example, in Jonas’s society, everyone has the same “birthday” date which is acknowledged in a ceremony in December by the entire community; whereas, in modern society birthdays are celebrated on the individual …show more content…
Early on in the book, Jonas’s mother reminded him, “After Twelve, age isn’t important. Most of us even lose track of how old we are as time passes” (Lowry 17). This reveals how inconsequential individual ages are to the community. Modern society, in contrast, celebrates birthdays until death, or when the individual person chooses to stop acknowledging it. Finally, the two societies also differ in the way gifts are given. Presents or privileges are pre-selected by age in Jonas’s society. For instance, Ones receive names and family units, Nines receive bicycles, and Twelves receive job assignments. On the other hand, in modern society, people are given presents based upon their personal interests. Therefore, as the evidence reveals, Jonas’s society maintains conformity, but modern society honors individuality. Modern society and The Giver’s society have very different ways of handling employment. In Jonas’s society, each child does a certain amount of volunteer hours before being assigned a job for the rest of their