Download The Giver

A Short Introduction…
The Giver, by Louis Lowry, takes place in a futuristic utopian society,
where life is seemingly well and happy for the people within each
community. The people have never known and will never know hunger
and pain, and they’re all created equal. However, there’s catch. There is
no such thing as love, color, feelings, emotions, or a sense of
uniqueness and individuality. When the children of the community
become “twelve’s,” there is a special ceremony in which the highly
respected elders select suitable jobs for each of the children. Jonas, the
novel’s main character, was selected to have one of the most honorable
positions within the community; the “Receiver.” From then on, he met
with the elder-“The Giver”- and learned through special transmissions
from the Giver’s memory to his-what love, and feelings and colors were.
He experienced what was beyond his community, which was deemed
“Elsewhere.” Jonas learned through these memories that the past used
to be colorful, people were unique, and there were such things as
animals, emotions, and even weather and pain. Determined to return
what had been taken away from is community, Jonas set out on a
journey through the unknown outskirts of the comfort of his town, to
search for Elsewhere, so that his people could experience the same
joys and perks of being human; of being unique, and experiencing true
feelings.
Science, is everywhere. Even in books,
like this one!
But, what sciences are shown?
Jonas learns of colors throughout
the novel as he is
transmitted memories
from The Giver…
As he begins to see
them…science
teaches us how this is
possible
In the novel, although
everyone in Jonas’s
community is created equal,
Jonas and another baby
named Gabe have similar
“light” eyes.
But, what is the science
behind the color
of eyes?
How and why do
people obtain
certain colors?
“A baby inherits one chromosome from each
parent in each pair of chromosomes. A piece of
DNA on a chromosome is called a gene. Genes
are the basic unit of heredity, they determine
many characteristics about a baby. Genes also
come in pairs. Alleles are found in genes and
determine the appearance of any characteristic.
There are two alleles for each trait inherited”
(http://www.sewanee.edu).
Certain eye colors are dominant and recessive.
Brown overrides green, and blue, while green overrides
blue. Blue eyes are only possible if both genes in a pair
are recessive.
Within Jonas’s community, weather and hills
were taken away. There are only
rivers, bushes, and flat plains.
To prevent hardships! The Giver states
That snow made agricultural periods rough,
and hills made transportation uneasy.
The solution; taking away land features
and limiting weather.
An optimal
environment was
created for the
people so that they
could live without
any hardships.
Science has the answer! Through experimentation!
How would an optimal environment
be determined for a plant?
What variables would be tested?

Temperature

Location

Intake of
sunlight/amount

Intake of water/oxegen
Like with the plant scenario, different variables
were tested out within Jonas’s community so
that an optimal and more suitable environment
could be created. Land features, like hills,
plains, and mountains, were tested to see how
they positively and negatively affected the
people inhabiting the area. Different types of
weather, like rain and snow were also tested.
Then, alternations were made after
experimentation and observation, so that
Jonas’s community could live in a place with
lesser hardships.
Over all, I would recommend this book to
anyone who likes stories of controlled
society, rebellion, change, and courage.