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Sameness In The Giver

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Imagine a society where everything was perfect, where everything would always go exactly according to plan. Such a society exists in Lois Lowry’s The Giver. In the society, multiple systems are set up so that order can be maintained. While starting with good intentions, the societal systems eventually become a machine that rips humans of basic emotions, and hunger for these emotions eventually leads to the destruction of the society. In The Giver, Lois Lowry uses the systems of Sameness, the Ceremonies, and Releasing to maintain order; however, these same systems ironically also lead to the downfall of the society.
The system that the society prides itself most on is the system of Sameness. Sameness was originally intended to bring about order …show more content…
In the beginning of the book, a pilot-in-training was put to death for making a mistake and flying the wrong way, even though he “...had been desperately trying to make his way back before his error was noticed.” (Lowry 7). Citizens in the society see Release as a dishonour, and a sign of failure. (Lowry 8). Clearly, the Releasing system was put into place so that citizens who did not meet the required standards of perfection could be removed from the community. However, the irony of Release can be seen throughout later parts of the book. One of the main reasons Releasing is ironic is that instead of maintaining order, society is“...dependent upon infanticide, enforced euthanasia, and a justice system which administers the death penalty without qualm.” (Hile and Telgen). In fact, Rosemary even uses the Releasing system while acting in rebellion, as she injects herself with the lethal injection that ends up killing her.(Lowry 151). In Lois Lowry’s The Giver, irony is found in within the community’s systems. The systems of Sameness, the Ceremonies, and Release all were intended to keep order. However, these same systems end up becoming harmful for the citizens, because they deprive them of basic needs that are vital for a healthy community: individuality, humanity, connections with previous generations, a chance to make mistakes, and accepting the differences of others. These

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