Sameness In The Giver

One of the many joys in life is the ability to use agency for the choices required. In the novel, The Giver by Lois Lowry, the main character, Jonas, lives in a society where everyone demonstrates Sameness. The citizens are given the same things at the same age. They are limited with choices and feelings and also don’t receive memories. At age twelve, Jonas is selected to become the next Receiver of Memories. Jonas is trained by the Giver, who receives all the memories in the community, and has the memories bestowed upon him. Having Sameness in The Giver portrays a negative effect on the community because it eliminates choices, limits feelings, and prevents diversity. One way the creators of Jonas’s society deprive the citizens in the community is by eliminating the ability to choose. For example one choice that was eliminated in the community was the amount of children in a family unit. The citizens are prevented from choosing the number of children they want in their family therefore causing all families to

Sameness causes the community to have a small amount of variety. The citizens are given the same things at the same age. Imagine the world; everyone receives the same thing which causes no one to be different. In the community, everyone fits in with everyone. In a conversation between Jonas and Asher, Asher said, “If you don’t fit in, you can apply for Elsewhere and be released,” (61). By this, Asher explains how if someone doesn’t fit in then they can just leave. This shows that the community wants everyone to be identical. If everyone were identical then it would prevent diversity. Diversity is what makes everything unique. People need diversity because diversity is how people see the beauty and differences in the world around them. Having Sameness in the community stops the diversity from taking place in people’s lives and therefore plays a negative effect in the lives of