Selection In The Giver By Lois Lowry

To start, selection can be a thought-provoking topic. Some may say there are bad selections, but if people can see the best in bad selections, they see good selections. For starters, was Jonas’s selection as the receiver an honor or punishment? In The Giver, a novel by Lois Lowry, Jonas comes of age to receive his life-long assignment. Countless people debate Jonas’s assignment in the book. For starters, Jonas’s selection is an honor because he gets to see numerous wonderful recollections and he finds out what the community is like. To begin, Jonas’s nomination is an honor because he gets to see wonderful memories. For example, when Jonas meets The Giver, his first memory shared is, “‘... of that ride on the sled... it was such fun!” (Lowry 104-105).

The memory of the sled is one of the first memories that The Giver gives Jonas, the memory also shows Jonas the world before the committee took care of the climate. Lowry explains that the committee took charge because these natural wonders were getting in the way of their “perfect life”. The snow was causing the food to go bad and the food trucks to slow down. In addition, as Jonas goes deeper into training with The Giver, he shares the memory of love, he, “‘... liked the feeling of love”’ (Lowry 158). Lowry’s perception depicts the idea that the Giver’s memory opens up a new window of information. Jonas’s expression of the new feeling of love indicates that he wishes they still had it. Since the community withdrew their freedom, they also took away their love and the way they can express love. In their community they cannot love who they want to, they have chosen a spouse to live with them their entire life. In essence, Jonas has been given the honor of witnessing important memories that can help Jonas and the