Bxample Essay
High Response to Literature
Prompt: Theme is typically expressed through characters in a novel.
Lois Lowry in her novel The Giver, focuses on themes revolving around
ideas of utopia and differences in society. In a well-developed essay,
discuss how Lowry develops her theme through the characters in her
novel.
When imperfections and differences are pulled from a society, you lose
all value of human life. Without emotions-sorrow or joy-life as we know it
is meaningless. In the novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry, sameness is strived
for. Variations in human emotions, thoughts, and physical appearances
make our identity as living, breathing, thoughtful, emotional spirits. Human
beings thrive off of learning experiences through pain and pleasure.
Without these choices we are animals and robots without any thought.
"Jonas, you and I are the only ones who have feelings." (The Giver
black book pg. 154) This quote explains that the protagonist, Jonas, and the
protagonist's mentor, the Giver, are the only people in their community that
have emotions. It also shows how extremely feelings are suppressed in
their community. If they are suppressing feelings, they are also suppressing
human activity and thought. Because they have no self thought they are
almost brainwashed; their views of life are so twisted that they celebrate the
killing of the old, they look down upon birthmothers, and they kill
newborns without a second thought if they are not up to standard.
In Jonas' community they are ignorant of many things that are very
common in our society. For example, on page t57 of The Giver (black
book) it says, "'Music,' the giver said, smiling, 'I began to hear something
truly remarkable and its called music'." This quote shows that they
manipulate and tweak people's daily life to make everyone fit in with the
community. They sacrifice feelings and daily activities and items to omit
jealousy, sadness, and other sad feelings that cause discomfort in humans.
In this community they do not have love. To not have a concept such as
love is unfathomable. On page 127 of The Giver (black book) the book
states "Do you understand why it is inappropriate to use a word like love?"
With this quote it can be inferred that Jonas' father who is a nurturer
doesn't even understand the real meaning of love. This community is so
inhuman that they hide true feelings of love. They do this by separating
families as soon as the children are grown up, and by releasing people.
Although there is no love there is also no pan or grief. That is where they
decided to draw the line.
Mistakes and learning experiences is what being human is all about.
Feelings and differences are the meaning of human life. When we are brain
washed to think like someone's ideal we are nothing. We have no selfidentity and no reason for a happy and fulfilled life. When you take these
choices and self-expression away, you also take away all meaning of being
a person, an individual, a something.
Commentary
The writer utilizes original
and convincing ideas to
respond to the writing
prompt. With multiple,
specific concrete examples
taken from the text, the
writer is able to persuade
their reader with a well
constructed essay that
focuses on a strong thesis.
The sentence structure is
varied with clauses and
complex sentences. The
language is well-chosen
and appropriate. The
conclusion takes the lesson
further and thoughtfully ties
together the argument of
the paper.