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In the science fiction book, The Giver by Lois Lowry, the protagonist, Jonas, lives in a community that is excruciatingly controlled. The members of the community could not even make most of their own choices. Almost everyone who lived within the confines of the community never had to experience anything gruesome like pain or hunger, nor did they understand the concept of war. Only one person, basically the recluse of the town, had the burden of containing all the pain and profound memories of the world. No one else had this ability, it was exclusive to the receiver of memory. In this case, the receiver of memory was Jonas. Depicted as gentle, curious, and caring, Jonas was specifically selected by the elders as they felt he had the unique disposition that was capable of handling the spectrum of memories he would receive from the Giver. Even though Jonas was receiving memories of pain he was also receiving fun memories of color, dancing, music, and love which no one else had. Jonas decided it was unfair that these experiences were exclusive to him, so he went on a journey to free all the memories of the community. As a result of this selfless, heroic act, Jonas is undoubtedly a hero. His heroism was most prevalent in his ability to put the well-being of others first, his perseverance and bravery throughout the whole book, and also, his display of wisdom throughout.
Initially, Jonas consistently put the happiness and well-being of his peers before himself. His selflessness was the main quality that demonstrated his heroic disposition. After Jonas found out that the concept of release from the community encompasses death, he and The Giver concluded that Jonas needed to escape so that all of the world’s memories would return to the entire community. Jonas’s escape not only embodies a selfless act, but his choice to put the community first is synonymous with true heroism as Jonas was risking his life to help everyone. As stated in the novel, “It was possible what they had planned. Barely possible. If it failed, he would very likely be killed” (Lowry 155). Jonas knew the dangers yet he risked it anyway. The community would no longer have to live in a monotone world that was colorless and restrictive. By releasing the memories, Jonas was able to facilitate the expansion of the minds of his people so they would no longer be empty and were free to pursue their true purposes in life. Ultimately Jonas’s selflessness is a very clear reason why he was a definite hero, there is no higher cause than sacrificing oneself for others.
In conjunction with Jonas’s acts of selflessness, his honesty, courage, and bravery also contributed to his heroic persona. During the process of transmitting the world’s memories to Jonas, the Giver has to bestow some violent memories that are malevolent and will forever haunt Jonas. Yet despite having to continually face fear, Jonas persisted. According to the text, “the daily training continued and now it always included pain… Jonas tried to be brave. He remembered that the Chief Elder had said he was Brave” (Lowry 110). Jonas returned to the Giver’s dwelling every day no matter what. Some of the memories were excruciating, but it never deterred Jonas. Bravery is of key importance to someone who would be considered a hero because a hero is someone who puts their life on the line for the well-being of others no matter what the risk. Courage is contingent on having bravery and Jonas relied on both to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of reaching the outer limits of the community.
Conclusively, Jonas also revealed his heroic qualities when he demonstrated wisdom. After receiving a prolific number of painful memories, Jonas wondered why only he and the Giver had the burden of holding the pain, fear, and devastation. Much to Jonas’s surprise, the Giver’s response to this notion was simple: “It gives us wisdom…Without wisdom, I could not fulfill my function of advising the committee of Elders when they call upon me” (Lowry 111). The more memories that Jonas received, the more wisdom he obtained. As Jonas began to understand the profound impact the memories contained, he also better understood the importance of the knowledge they contained. Wisdom is not always something that can be taught in books, it also comes from real-life experiences. Having a wealth of memories displayed that Jonas had been collecting various levels of wisdom. Wisdom contributes to heroic qualities because it’s unquestionably one of the most important traits of a hero to be able to make wise decisions without hesitation. People lack wisdom and also lack perspective which is a crucial element in acting heroically.
Jonas is undoubtedly a hero because of his selflessness, bravery, and wisdom. Jonas displayed these characteristics when he decided to go on a journey to save others even if it meant he would face destruction or death. Jonas endured painful memories even when they left him battered and exhausted because he took his responsibility to the community seriously and he wanted to retain as much wisdom as possible. Through this wisdom, Jonas was able to guide himself to his selfless decision to save the community. The Giver offers a prominent message through the heroism of Jonas. He saved his community from having a meaningless life, by which, Lois Lowry wants readers to remember the importance of human emotion and that life is not complete without the ability to have good and bad experiences.
The pictures on my title page connect with the story The Giver because the red apple is the first thing that Jonas saw in the color red. The scenic city/water picture connects with the book because at the beginning of the book Jonas starts by seeing black and white but then toward the end, the Giver helps him see colors. Lastly, the picture at the bottom represents her red hair and the spark he felt with her.
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