The Giver A Dystopian Society Essay

What is a dystopian society? A dystopian society by definition is a universe that is very different from an ordinary one, in which oppressive rule and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through overbearing control. In dystopian literature governments take control of their citizens in ways that are not ethical and can be very oppressive and take away the fundamental rights of their citizens. One example of this is the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. In the text Jonas, a twelve year old boy, learns about the overbearing ways his government runs his community, which is free of feelings and choices. Jonas’s experiences develop a theme over the course of The Giver by teaching the reader that the government should not have full reign

This is shown through Jonas not questioning his government whenever they control his choices. In the text it illustrates that Jonas is understanding of the rules and complies with them, on page 11 of The Giver it states “Two children- one male, one female, to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules” (11). This evidence from the text illustrates that Jonas’s community has very strict rules that everyone is forced to follow and no one questions them, not even Jonas. No one in the community seems to question this rule although it is very controlling and doesn’t give the citizens the right to make their own decisions. Another piece of evidence that portrays Jonas failing to understand that the government controlling all of his decisions is a bad thing

Jonas also determines that he wants to make some of his decisions on his own. In the text it portrays that Jonas is not accepting of the rules toward the end of the book, on page 123 “ ‘Well…’ Jonas has to stop and think it through. ‘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?’’” (123). This excerpt from the text illustrates that Jonas isn’t happy with the fact that he can’t make decisions as simple as what to wear in the morning because of his government's rules. This evidence also shows that Jonas now doesn't think everything that the government does is correct, rather he wants to decide what he does unlike in the beginning of the book. Additionally, Jonas continues to express his belief that the government should be limited when he states “But what did that matter? If he stayed, his life was no longer worth living.” (194). This narration of Jonas’s inner thoughts illustrates that Jonas realizes life doesn't hold value if one does not get to decide what they do with it. Jonas knew he wouldn’t have choices if he returned so he wouldn’t be able to do what would make him happy. He also understood that if he went back he wouldn’t be able to express his emotions since other community members didn't