A BIG FAT THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS MY LAST POST, BLOGGERS!!!!!!!! AND THIS IS TO EXPRESS MY BIG FAT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'VE CONTRIBUTED EVEN THE TEENIEST THING OF CHECKING OUT MY BLOG AND THOSE WHO HAVE COMMENTED ON THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU PEOPLE HAVE MADE IT A SUCCESS!!! SPECIAL THANKS TO ANDREA FOR HELPING ME UPLOAD MY PLAYLIST!!!!! AND TERRIFIC, TOPNOTCH, TREMENDOUS THANKS TO 2M AND MS LI (FOR LETTING US BE THE PIONEERS OF THIS BLOGGING PROJECT)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) THANKS FOR MAKING MY BLOG A FABULOUS FIESTA OF FANTASY WITH COLOURS, MUSIC, EMOTIONS, CHOICE AND FREEDOM.............

  HAVE A FABULOUS FANTASY FIESTA!!! :) YOURS FOREVER.......... SUBI..............                                                                                         

EQUALITY... ASSIGNMENTS... SAMENESS...

Hi bloggers! I just realised something... I realised that I honor differences... I know that I'm being random but actually this randomness is related to what I'm posting now... It's whether Jonas's society valued sameness or differences. I'm also going to reflect about what we discussed in class yesterday about the Assignments and the Committee's role... Let's burrow in... (I've replaced dig with burrow to honor the difference :D)

All the Assignments allocated to the people are NOT equal or equally respected, and I've got the valid evidence for it... Some Assignments are more honored than others. For instance, Birthmother is "a job without honor" while "[The Receiver of Memory] is the most important job in the community". Can you spot the difference between a job "without honor" and a job being "the most important"? That's exactly what I mean by the fact that not all Assignments are equally respected. Moreover, it was said that "It was a lesser job, night crew nurturing, assigned to those who lacked the interest or skills or insight for the more vital jobs of the daytime hours". This further supports my point that certain Assignments such as Birthmothers and Night crew Nurturers are low-esteemed while a job as the Receiver of Memory is high-esteemed.  Not only that, but, a rumour was passed on that a man jumped into the river and swam away to the next community, just because he received an Assignment as "Sanitation Labourer"! Imagine how he might have felt if he were to take charge of the sanitation of the community!!! It's pretty sick and disgusting?!

In class, we were actually wondering about what the allocation of Assignments by the Committeee of Elders reflect about the society... What do you think, bloggers? Well, I think that the society is very orderly.  Every person has an Assignment allocated to them so no one in the community is jobless. Isn't that perfect!? Every job is assigned to a person based on their talents and the constant observation made by the Elders. Hence, there are always enough jobs to go round the community every year as another group of children turn twelve. Thus, the allocation of Assignments by the Elders, reflects that the society is efficient and orderly.

Moreover, the society is also meticulous in assigning the jobs. For instance, Jonas was wondering "How could someone not fit in?" and that "The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices so carefully made.". This proves that every "Assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee of Elders".  Thus, they looked into and discussed every allocation thoroughly before being assigned, in order to make sure that each person is assigned with an Assignment that suits his or her abilities and talents. Hence, the society can be classified as careful and accurate. However, the Committee is rather pragmatic since they choose practicality over interests. For example, the Committee will choose an Assignment for someone based on what they can contribute to the society, and not based on their likes and dislikes.Hence, we can deduce that Committee is rather utilitarian and pragmatic.

The society is also tightly controlled. There is total control and constant observation over the people in the community, and not just over the weather and the colours of the environment.  This can be proven from the fact that when Jonas brought home an apple, against the recreation rules, an announcement "had been specifically directed at him". Moreover, the Elders were also watching the Elevens at "recreation time" and were recording their "volunteer hours". Hence, the citizens are not given a choice of freedom over the way they live, and they never complained. They did not even wonder why they wee assigned that specific Assignment but just accept it as if it is perfect for them, since the Committee decided it for them. They also have no privacy as they are all under constant surveillance.


Anyway, the last thing that I want to address is the element that the society values-whether it is sameness or difference. THE SOCIETY OBVIOUSLY VALUES SAMENESS!!! They have rules of standardisation whereby citizens of the same age group had to follow a standard attire or hair style. Moreover, everyone who has a particular job is labled. For instance, the people are called "Birthmothers", "Nurturers", "Night crew Nurturers" and "Sanitation Labourers". Such labels actually bring forth stereotypes and stigmas associated with each job, portraying that the people in each job have the same personalities. In thus way, we can conclude that the society values Sameness.

Other general things that make the society standardised include the consumption of pills by those who hot their Stirrings, going through the "standard apology phrase", the fixed number of children in a family unit (1 boy, 1 girl), application and allocation of Spouses (which is controlled by the Commmittee) and staying in House of the Old once they have reached a certain age. These standardised rules helps create Sameness, which the society values so much.

However, Jonas's society seems to have failed in promoting Sameness as irony occurs. On the surface, it seems that everything in Jonas's society is standardised and same, but in reality, Sameness does not always occur , mainly because of the hierachy of the jobs. If Sameness was completely practised, each job should be deemed equal. However, this is not the case in Jonas's society as some of the jobs are more respected than the others. For instance, being the Receiver of Memory is the most honoured job while being a Birthmother has no honour. This creates hierachy, hence difference, hence there is no complete Sameness, which the society highly values...

What is you opinion bloggers? Do you think that the society values Sameness or differences. Don't forget to add in your comments below... Signing off... Subi...

CHARISMATIC CHARACTERS...

Howdy bloggers! How're you doing? If you're feeling as if you want to DIE, you MUST visit a psychiatrist or at least your therapist... If not, something will be very wrong... :P. Anyway, today I've decided to post the charismatic characteristics of the characters in the charming Giver!!! (How do you like my alliteration?!) I'll be comparing and contrasting the characteristics of the main characters, Jonas, his parents, Lily and Asher. Now you could at least get to know them well... :D

Jonas with the Giver (Isn't he cute!?)

Firstly, lets talk about Jonas. Jonas is an law-abiding boy. This can be seen through his precision of language, whereby he "was careful about language". This shows that Jonas takes the rules seriously. even the minor rules of the precision of language is important to him. This can be compared to his mother as well. His mother is law abiding as well since she "held a prominent position at the Department of Justice" so it should be natural for her to be following the laws. However, not everyone could be perfect, right? Jonas HAS committed minor transgressions such as the time when "he had taken the apple home, against the recreation area rules". This shows that even though Jonas tried his best to abide by the rules of his community, it was just not possible to do so at times. Anyway, he was not the only one who committed minor transgressions. Lily commits them, too, when she "call [ed] attention to Jonas's eyes" and "her hair ribbons were as usual undone and dangling". This proves that Lily might either not be aware of rules regarding hair ribbons and differentiating people, or it might hahve just slipped off her mind for a while. Yet, there's still a possibility that Lily let her hair ribbons dangling on purpose since she "don't [didn't] like hair ribbons". Furthermore, Asher broke the rules often when he "talked too fast and mixed things up". Asher did not care about the way he talks, much, but just continues talking, hence making his words "barely recognizable and often very funny" . Lastly, Jonas's father has committed minor transgressions, too, when he "looked to see if this [that] year's Naming list had been made yet", to check Gabriel's name. He knew that this was against the law but he acted against the rule just to find Gabe's name, to enhance his nurturing.

Jonas and his family also feel a sense of sympathy at certain parts of the novel, of certain things. For instance, Jonas said that he "feel [felt] a little sorry for him", "even though I [he] don't [didn't] even know him", when Lily was talking about the boy from another community, who didn't queue up for the slide. This explains that Jonas shows a sense of sympathy towards someone he doesn't even know or has met with. He understands how the poor boy would feel when he is visiting a new community with new rules and puts himself in the boy's shoes. Lily portrays the feeling of sympathy, too, when she said "I guess I feel a little sorry for. him. And sorry I made a fist."  This shows that she understands how the boy would feel when her family explains the possible reasons for his actions. She forgives him, and additionally, feels sympathetic too... (She is so understanding for a six-year-old...). Mother feels sympathetic when she confessed that she feels "frightened, too, for him". She shows sympathy even for law-breakers who repeatedly committing the crimes, for which he had already been "fairly punished". Jonas's father shows sympathy, too, when he "reached over and took her hand" when she was feeling frustrated and sympathetic towards the law-breaker. He comforts his Spouse by patting her arm and showing her that he feels for her (Ahhh... How sweet...)

I wanted to keep the most significant characteristic for the last, so I can end with a BOOM!!! Jonas is perceptive. He noticed that "the apple had changed", which the rest of the citizens in the community (except the Giver) can't notice. He was able to see the colour red even before he was officially selected as the Receiver of Memory. In the future, this developed into the Capacity to see Beyond, whereby he starts seeing all the colours and even "keep" them. Moreover, he questioned the rules regarding nakedness, thinking that "he couldn't see why it was necessary". He starts questioning such rules in the community, which the rest of the citizens don't. This shows that he looks at things from a different perspective, compared to the citizens of the community. Furthermore, "he thought that he had liked the feelings that his mother had called Stirrings". This further proves the fact that he started to feel the feelings such as love, which the rest of the community is not able to experience. Jonas has insights that others don't have, and this sets him APART from the rest of the community.

Well, that's all I have for today... I hope that you got to know more about the characters... Bye bye and have a Fabulous Fiesta of Fantasy... Subi... :)

YOUR UTOPIA, MY DYSTOPIA...

Yo bloggers! I know that I've been adding in a lot of posts. It's because I need to complete this project by THURSDAY!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH........ Thus, I have to reflect about all the things we discuss in class (related to The Giver, of course...) so I would be adding in a few more posts... You could also add in a few more comments, maybe?! Thanks a lot!!! Anyway, today I'm reflecting about the features of the Utopian society in The Giver, which we actually discussed a few weeks ago... (HEEE HEE HEE...) Enjoy!!!

Firstly, I think that Jonas's society is rigid. It's so FULL of rules and every aspect of the community has guide lines. It was even "against the rules for Pilots to fly over the community". Moreover, "the children were scolded if they used 'release' lightly in play" and everyone had to follow the "standard apology phrase" if they did something wrong, like being late for school or when they were rude to someone. What do YOU think of this? There are so many protocols that must be adhered to in almost every setting in the community, including in school (when they committed a minor offense). Can you imagine being late for school and standing in front of the whole cohort, saying, "I apologize for inconveniencing my learning community"?! Additionally, providing a reason for coming late would just make me wish I had not come to school at all! I MEAN THAT THE WHOLE SCHOOL WOULD BE PRACTICALLY LAUGHING AT OUR FACE!!! It would be the most embarrassing moment in my entire life of 14 years and 5 months... Now, I realise that getting booked is much better than being laughed at by the WHOLE school!!! :O Furthermore, "when something went to a committe for study, people always joked about it. They said that the committee members would become elders by the time the change was made." Since the committee took a seriously long time to study a rule and change it, the people just get fed up and don't voice out their suggestions any more. This suggests thatbchange is not forthcoming in this society and that it takes a long time for a change to occur, proving that it is a rigid society.

Secondly, we can see that there is a dilution of relationships in this society. "Spouses were assigned, not chosen" and there could only be "two children-one male, one female-to each family unit", who were given birth to by Birthmothers. Since the mother herself does not give birth to her children, she won't feel the close proximity of "love" towards her children. There is no personal effort on the parents part to cultivate the relationship. They are just PUT in a relationship by the Committee, and they could not deny the spouse they are matched to. How do you think you'll feel if you were told who to marry? The relationship will be so forged and not deep. You won't be able to get to know about your spouse at the beginning but only the Committee would know about how perfect all the factors correspond and interact. Would that be of any use?

Thirdly, there is no individuality among the people in the community. The  people are addressed by their jobs/Assignments. It's mentioned in the first chapter that the "busy afternoon crew of Street Cleaners, Landscape Workers and Food Delivery people" were not seen in the streets, after the voice from the speaker had ordered them to take shelter (when an unidentified aircraft had flown over the community). Since labels are used to identify them, it shows that there are no individual identities such as by using their names. They are only known by the occupations and this actually brings about the factor of difference in teh society. Though the community values Sameness, they are still addressing the people by their jobs, and each person has a different job. Thus, they bring forth differences which they don't value and honor in the community. Hence, we can conclude that even though they try to achieve Sameness, it is not possible because of such factors of using labels. I'll talk more about it in one of the next few posts, bloggers... Look forward to them!

Fourthy, the government has tight control over the people in the community. When "the rasping voice through the speakers had said 'LEAVE YOUR BICYCLES WHERE THEY ARE'", the citizens adhered to the orders promptly. The willingness and the promptness of the citizens of Jonas' society in adhering to orders show that there has been a learnt obedience of the people cultivated by the government. Nobody questions why an order was made but they just follow it blindly.

Fifthly, the society is harsh and unforgiving. When the Pilot-in-training had lost his way, "HE WILL BE [WAS] RELEASED". Though the Pilot was just in training, he was "released". There were no second chances given to the Pilot-in-training. In the strive for perfection, people who are deemed as less than perfect are meted out the worst possible punishment of being released. This is considered harsh as they need to be given chances to learn from their mistakes. Releasing, which is killing them, without giving them any chances is cruel as the small mistake of navigating the aircraft wrongly had done no harm to anyone, other than causing fear to the community. Thus, releasing him is too extreme and harsh.

Lastly, the society is ritualistic. There are certain rituals such as the "telling of feelings", "Sharing of Dreams", ceremonies of ages, and the "Release of the Old". These rituals are carried out by every household ("telling of feelings" and "Sharing of Dreams") every day, and is part of their daily routine. The Ceremony of Ages is attended by every member of the community once a year and the "Release of the Old" is attended by the Old in the Home of the Old. Since there are so many routines and rituals carried out by the whole community, we can conclude that the society is ritualistic.

These are some of the features of the "Utopian" society in The Giver. They may not apply throughout the book (of course...) but they are still part of the community and they are some of the things that set this particular community apart from other communities like ours!? If you want to voice out your opinions, do so now!!!! Don't worry! I'd be sure to check your comments and I'll "study" them and reply to them in maybe a few days?! Have a Fabulous Fiesta of Fantasy!!! Forever... Subi...

P.S. This is just a quote of the day... When you try to create something perfect, there are always dystopian elements in it... Keep this in mind and aim for the ULTIMATE BEST YOU CAN GIVE!!! :)

DIGGING DEEP INTO THEMES...

Yo Bloggers! How did you enjoy the photos? I hope you commented on them. Well, if you didn't you should do so right away, after reading this post! We've looked into the summary and the symbols so now, I'm addressing the (drumroll...) themes. That's right! We're going to observe the themes in The Giver and understand how deep the theme goes and why it is so important. Before that, we need to know what are themes. I'll explain it to you in a nutshell! Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work, such as The Giver! Now that you know what themes are let's dig in, bloggers!!!

Our lives are like machines

With rituals and routines

We go to school; we go to work

Nothing but overwork

With no memories to dwell upon

About sunshine and trumpeter swans

Or even hunger and wars    

It’s just so bizzare

Christmas trees and red sleds

Grandparents and redheads

Such blissful things, we know not of

To such limits we’re bound thereof

Even war is just a game

Nothing more than a shooting game

No idea what is sunburn

Or even starvation

We have no colours or music

Neither snow nor feeling homesick

Love is considered vague

Using it makes them plague

We live in sameness

It gives us calmness

With total equality

And tranquility

It’s just a cloy

But we don’t feel true joy

Of having a family

Of living in an  “Utopia”

For all we see is sameness

Nothing but uniformity in excess

Afraid to let us handle choices

The leaders have made us choiceless

But now that I have the memories

I have CHOSEN my own way, my own path

To let them experience true joy

To let them suffer the true pain

I want to bring a change

Beyond any range

I want to bring about the truth

The truth of reality

The truth of reality way back and back and back...

This poem addresses the importance of memory in The Giver.  The whole story has developed from the idea of memories. The whole community has no memories except for the Giver and Jonas. When one has no memory they cannot remember painful episodes in their life. It might be a good thing but you might not be able to learn from the mistakes you could have made and you might commit the same mistake again. However, we should firstly realise that this is the reason for a Receiver, like Jonas and the Giver. The Receiver holds these memories and advises the Committee of Elders when they meet with unusual circumstances. To some people with memories of horrors, losing those memories can seem to be a blessing. Yet, if they also cannot recall the emotions associated with their good relationships with others, it might not be a pure, spirited blessing. The author appears to believe that having all memories, good and bad, is better than having no memories. This book presents a convincing argument for the importance of memory.

Memory is important for preventing repetition of mistakes. That is where the Receivers give their community valuable help (as I have said earlier). Without the Receivers, the community would have wanted to increase the population. However, since the Giver/Receiver had memories of famine and hunger, they avoided suffering through famine and hunger again.

I crafted this poem from Jonas' perspective. It is set on the night before Jonas leaves the community. Jonas reflects about how his life was once and how it has changed to then. I've named the poem "Memories" as it is a significant theme in The Giver. In the picture, I've cancelled out the word "Memories" to show that there aer no memories in Jonas' society. They have been eliminated and only the Giver and Jonas hold these memories. Firstly, Jonas reflects on how "[their] lives are like machines". I've used this simile to compare Jonas' life to a automatic and mechanical life where they have "rituals and routines" such as the Sharing of Dreams, Sharing of Feelings and stuff... Every single day, they perform the same routines and this routine has changed their lives into machines. 

 From the second stanza onwards, I talk about the change in Jonas' life-about how he knew about memories. Firstly, he ponders upon the happy and merry stuff like "Christmas trees and red sleds". They are one of Jonas' favourite memories. The memory of the sled was the first he ever received and the speed and the colour of it fascinated him a lot. The Christmas trees reminded him of warmth and happiness, and a loving family. These were some of the things he wished to keep and experience in reality. Yet, since he was living in a community of Sameness, these memories were nothing but just "memories".

 Secondly, Jonas also ponders about the sad and painful stuff like "war" and "starvation". They are one of the memories which affected him deeply. The memories of "war" where he saw wounded men and heard cries begging for water, and for death to envelop them, left a huge hole in Jonas' heart. He began to realise that the rest of the community do not even experience true pain in their lives. Furthermore, he understands how the rest of them just consider war as a "game". He, then, feels the reality of the war, even just as a game, when the others are not at all affected by the seriousness of it, even as a "game".

Following, he thinks about the lack of colours, music and a very important symbol, love. Once, he saw the colours in the memories he received, he was able to see all the colours in his community. However, he knew that the rest of them could not enjoy this quality of colour and they don't even know what it is (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! IT'S RIDICULOUS!!!). All they could see was Sameness-everything would be colourless and flavourless to them. Nevertheless, the fact that the word "love" is considered vague (?!) is absurd! When Jonas saw the memory of Grandparents and family, he felt a feeling of warmth... He felt happiness... He felt LOVE... However, when he asked his parents if they love him, they replied him that "love" is a word too vague and that "enjoy" is a more appropriate word to be used!!! I don't think that there is a deeper word than LOVE! Love is a passionate affection, a feeling of warmth for a family, friend or a child... It's such a meaningful word that even my words can't describe it. Jonas expresses his feeling that EVEN love is considered inappropriate in his society and that he wants to change it.


The 6th and 7th verse contrast each other. Since the community has a quality of sameness (with no conatct to memories), there is peace and equality. On the other hand, because of this Sameness (with no contact to memories), they are not able to experience true joy of having a family or of living in a "Utopia". The memories are what express true joy and true pain but when they are not able to access these memories, they don't know the REAL/TRUE feelings. They may assume that they experience true joy and pain, but in reality they just don't and can't, until a change has been imposed in the community. It's so pitiful... Huuuhhh... I quoted Utopia to bring out the point that it is not a Utopia. It's just called one but it does not possess all the necessary qualities of an Utopian society.No place in this world is Utopia. My utopia could be your dystopia... Hence, this society which claims to be Utopia is not perfect as there is no colour, music and emotions there, making life flavourless... What do YOU think, bloggers?!

 The next verse briefly introduces the new them of the lack of choice. The community is unable to choose anything-from their jobs, spouses, wishes to have children, to even the different coloured tunic that they want to wear (I can't imagine... :[). this is what I mean by choiceless. They jsut don't have a choice. They have to abide by the rules and let the Committee choose everything for them, leaving them choiceless...

The second last verse is the "climax" of the poem. Jonas has decided to CHOOSE his own way... He has decided to CHOOSE his own path... He has CHOSEN to break the rules and leave the community, not just for his own pleasure but also for the community's welfare (or not? It depends on your way of thinking...?). Leaving the community will result his memories being released to the community. Hence, the community gets to know the truth. They get to experience the true joy (Yippee!!!) and the true pain (Oh no!!!). It would be fair to the Giver and Jonas if they enjoyed and at the same time, suffered with the memories they were released when Jonas left to Elsewhere. They could experience the reality of life in the past...

The last verse ends the poem by outlaying the intentions of his escape from the community. He merely wanted to bring a change, that has never been attained before. He just wanted show the oblivious truth to the community. The oblivious truth that might be dark and ominous, and, certain, bright and propitious. I used the phrase "back and back and back" to reinforce the point about the memories dating to a life long ago. Under normal circumstances, the phrase “back and back and back” is meant to express the inevitability of the current situation: Sameness is not a historical moment that has a beginning and an end, but an endless, changeless state, something beyond time and space and human intervention. However, in this context I've used this phrase as a means to express proof that there was something beyond this inevitable Sameness, that there was something against this life with uniformity, that there was a different life where there is Difference, in certain things. Under the usual context, this phrase displays a history-less and memory-less life. Comparatively, I've used this phrase to emphasise the exact opposite meaning-to exhibit a historical, memory-filled life... This is my aim... It's to bring about the hope that rules can be changed... It's to bring about the hope that the truth and reality could be attained even in such a rigid society...

What do you thing, bloggers?! Do you like my poetic poem. I can only come up with such poetic stuff when I feel poetic. Do you feel like you want to write poems now? Let me give you one tip to craft poems: If you are the calm, nature-lover kind of person, go sit in the garden or a beach, and stare at the sky. If you are the more hippy and Y-generation kind of person, sit in front of your laptop and stare at the screen. Words will just flow like rivers, believe me...If you feel that I could improve my poem, feel free to comment on it... If you are an aspiring poet, why don't you attach your poems in my comment box?! We can all enjoy it!? Signing off for now... Subi... :)

GET READY FOR SNAPSHOTS!!! :)

Yo Bloggers! I know that I've been loading you with words, words and words... Thus, here I'm presenting to you a photo montage of the symbols in The Giver! These photos depict the significant symbols in The Giver and I've elaborated on each of them, so that you could understand why it is significant. Have a fabulous 'foto (photo) fiesta!!

The Colour Red

First and foremost, colour is an important element in The Giver. We were able to deduce that because of the fact there is the quality of Sameness in The Giver, the community is unable to differentiate the different colours, with the exception of the The Giver and Jonas (of course...). Yet, there are certain circumstances where Jonas was able to see the colour red, specifically. Firstly, he noticed that the, "apple had changed" (Pg 24) when Asher threw it to him (when they were playing catch). Secondly, he noticed it that, "she [Fiona] had changed... It seemed to be just her hair," (Pg 90), when he was going for his training after having a short conversation with Fiona. Thirdly, he noticed it in his memories where,"the sled had-and continued to have, as he blinked, and stared at it again-that same mysterious quality that the apple had had." (Pg 93). 

In my opinion, I think that Lowry used the colour red as an outstanding symbol to bring forth certain meanings. What does the colour red remind you of? Fire, passion, love... (and Twilight maybe?!) Red is possibly a intense colour. Well, it could be the intense colour. Hence, when Jonas "sees" the colour red, he's not just seeing the colour. He is experiencing the fire... the passion... the love... That could be the reason why Jonas is physically attracted to Fiona who has RED hair, portraying love... When Jonas starts to lose hope at the last point of his journey, he finds the RED sled, portraying hope and courage... Do you think it's coincidental, bloggers?

Gabriel, the baby

Secondly, another eminent symbol in The Giver is Gabriel (Awww... Isn't he cutest thing?). Gabe is the symbol of hope and beginning. Babies are young, careless, naive and they just bring about a regeneration and a new beginning for something. Here, Gabe is also young and careless, free from the rigid rules of the society... Free from problems... Gabriel is too young to be tied to the rules of the community, so he is still receptive to the powerful memories that Jonas transmits to him. Jonas escapes with Gabe, to save the baby's life, but his gesture is also symbolic of him trying to change things, to start a new life Elsewhere. His struggles to keep Gabriel alive reflect his struggles to maintain his ideals in the face of difficulty. Hence, the next time you see a baby, you should be reminded of hope... Beginning... And cuteness...

The Pale Eye

  There's a definite association between those who have pale eyes and those who can receive memories. Of, course there isn't a scientific explanation for it (like the Birthmother they are born to), but we can deduce that Lowry has used this unique organ as a way to differentiate the normal (rest of the community) and those who have the Capacity to See Beyond. We can observe that those who are able to receive memories are those who have pale eyes-the Giver, Jonas and Gabe. This artistic element can be used to prove that these few people who are different from the rest of the community in terms of physical features, are also differnt in terms of their ability to "see" beyond. They are able to see colours (Jonas) and listen to music (the Giver). They are able to understand the things that the rest of the community can't understand and will never will... 

 Jonas is in some way, pre-destined to be The Receiver, with his pale eyes and his Capacity to See Beyond even before he was selected as the Receiver. Moreover, this pale-eye concept creates a special bond between Jonas and the Giver, and Jonas and Gabe, which no one else in the community can ever share. It fits the picture perfectly! 

 However, if you are wondering why it should be pale eyes and why not pink or green eyes, I think I can clarify your question... Well, the evidence is in The Giver itself. Remember? Jonas decided that the pale eyes reminded him of "Depth" (Pg 21), "as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which haven't been discovered yet," (Pg 21), when he saw Gabe's. Consequently, we can conclude that as Jonas, the Giver and Gabe had pale eyes, they have a sense of depth, whereby they tend to look at things from a different angle and observe things.  Jonas indeed looks into things more deeply. He wonders a lot of things-of, "why it was necessary" to not let, "children or adults to look at another's nakedness" (Pg 30), how it would be, "if we could hold up things that were bright red, or bright yellow, and he [Gabriel] could choose," (Pg 98) and so on...The way he perceives the world is different – more reflective, more contemplative, more insightful – so it makes sense that his eyes appear different than everyone else's. And it makes sense that those with pale eyes are more insightful; more deep in thoughts...

The River

I know it's just a river, like your usual Nile, Amazon, Mississippi and Missouri and stuff... Yet, the river is rather a major symbol-an abstract idea; a concept, in The Giver. It's not just the kind of river where you go and have a swim or go fishing but it's where an idea is formed around; it's what separates different civilizations; it's why there was a death... The river, which runs into the community and out, to Elsewhere, symbolizes escape from the confines of the community. It's the boundary between Jonas and the rest of the world. The way the river flows out from the community demonstrates the direction that Jonas eventually takes to escape to Elsewhere. When little Caleb drowns in the river and dies, it is one of the few events that the community cannot predict or control, and Jonas and the Giver are inspired to try to change the community by the idea of the river’s unpredictable behavior. Hence, they plan to lie to the community that Jonas had been drowned in the river,when he actually had gone Elsewhere. Thus, the ordinary, flowing river has been transformed into an extra-ordinary element in The Giver, whereby the fabulous story ends fabulously...

What do you think, bloggers? How did you enjoy the pictures?! The flaming red... The cute baby... The pale eye... The flowing river... They may seem like normal, day-to-day stuff but they are actually extra-ordinary as I had mentioned earlier. Every single element in a book or even a movie or a song has its own meaning and form of understanding. We've always though the colour red as just an ordinary colour; nothing but the colour of fire, sun, apple and stuff... Now, we actually understand that this colour red can portray passion, strife and even love... I hope that the photo montage captured your attention but if it didn't, feel free to comment on it!!! Bye!!! Subi :)

P.S. Is this how you do a photo montage? Am I right? PLEASE TELL ME!!! :D

Similarities and Differences between The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale

Hi bloggers! Well, I'm posting after a very long time... I actually wanted to relate to you the connections between The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale.

Firstly, The Handmaid's Tale is about a film adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name. The setting is a dystopian setting with a state of theocracy, where the god/deity is considered to be the state's supreme civil ruler. The society's main goal was to produce more babies so as to increase the population of the country. It explores the themes of women subjugation and the various means by which they gain agency. The main characters involved are Offred (real name is Kate),the protagonist, The Commander, Serena Joy, the Commander's wife, and other minor characters.

As you already know, the Handmaid's Tale is set in a dystopian society. Having enacted a theocratic fascist state, the novel chronicles the ways in which the state was effective only in doing injury, not in transforming individuals to higher-minded ideals. It is a society where there are caste/class differences, gender inequality and even complex sumptuary law.

Though the first part of The Giver is set in an Utopian society, we are able to identify the dystopian features that begin to emerge from the Utopian features. For example, though there was peace and order, and no class differences (except the opinion Jonas' mother gives about Birthmothers), there is no colour, music or even deep emotions (like love) in the novel. Thus, we can evaluate that colour, music, individuality and freedom is sacrificed for peace and prosperity in this novel. The lack of colour, music and emotions acts a dystopian aspects of this "Utopian" society. This is similar to The Handmaid's Tale too. When there was this human impulse to create a Utopian society (perfect world; blissful life...), there always tends to be this power which creates a dystopian society in reality, instead. As I mentioned earlier, having enacted a theocratic fascist state, the novel chronicles the ways in which the state was effective only in doing injury, not in transforming individuals to higher-minded ideals. When they tried to increase the population of the country by holding concubines (handmaids) for reproductive purposes, they actually are against the women's (concubine) rights. When the Commander sexually penetrates the handmaid (Offred/Jane), he is actually acting against the morals and values of her. Though she wanted to have a baby, I don't think that she wanted to be sexually penetrated by a stranger every month. Thus, in order to increase the population of the country and to decrease the load of the workforce (make the society Utopian; in other words perfect), dystopian elements such as the actions against the handmaid's morals and values are undertaken. This turns the setting into a rather dystopian society than Utopian.

 One of the differences between The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale is that there are no gender differences in The Giver whereas there is a lot of gender differences in The Handmaid's Tale. For example, in The Giver, everyone is treated equally with no class differences. Both genders (of course-male and female) are allowed to be educated and be assigned or selected for certain Assignments. There are no Occupations where only a certain gender is allowed to work in (except for Birthmothers). In fact, Jonas' mother "held a prominent position at the Department of Justice" [Page 8] and "[Jonas' father's] friend Yoshiko was surprised by her selection as Doctor" [Page16]. Since Doctor and Judges are quite high-class positions, we can conclude that there are no gender rights in the society. Men or women (it doesn't matter) is assigned to do whatever occupation they show most interest in, as long as they have the talent. On the other hand, in The Handmaid's Tale, it's a different story. In that society, there is an obvious gender difference among men and women. Only the men hold the higher positions in the society. The women are always regarded low and are not educated or allowed to read (except for the Aunts). In this society, women are considered intellectually and emotionally inferior. Hence, the men have the most respectable positions (Commander, Eyes...) in the society and the women are not as respected as them. They are given minor jobs such as Commander's Wives, Handmaids (Boo...agh... :!) etc. Thus, we can conclude that there are gender differences in the society portrayed in The Handmaid's Tale. 

 What do you think bloggers? Do you think you want to read The Handmaid's Tale or watch the movie (Well, I would actually discourage you to watch the movie because it has some disgusting scenes which may leave you mentally disturbed-Believe me... I've got experience)?! Wait up for my next post but signing off for now... Subi.                 HAVE A FABULOUS FANTASY FIESTA!!! :)