Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Post-reading task: Questions
Questions at the end of the book
Because of there’s an open ending at the end of the book, I had questions which I asked myself and which would probably never be responded.
- What would happen to Jonas and Gabriel?
- Will they survive? Is there enough time to reach the village, or will they freeze to death?
- Is Jonas’ imagination real or is it just a wish of him?
- If they accomplish to arrive at the village: do the other people know something about the communities?
- Will he find someone who will take care for him and Gabriel?
- Do they know that there’s a life without colors and individuality?
- Is this the only village which isn’t owned by the community?
- If there are still other countries, do they know something about the life in the community?
- If not, how did the Elders of the community create the secret about their life?
- What will happen to the people in the community?
- Will they cope (zurechtkommen) with the burden of all the memories?
- How will they react, if everything’s going right?
- What will happen to them, if the memories are too strong and destroy the people?
- Will there be a revolution of the members of the community?
- Will they build a new country with justice and own opinions of the people?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Chapters 21 - 23: Continuation of the story
This is an idea how the story could go on:
But perhaps it was only an echo.
The sled slowed down and the two boys reached the first houses of the little village. Here everything, the roads, the trees which were covered with snow now and the dwellings seemed to be unarranged and built like there was no real plan where they should stand. Jonas and Gabriel watched around and didn’t know what to look at, because there were so many new things and impression which came to them. Of course, Jonas already had them anywhere inside him before. But this was special. Now, everything came directly and altogether to him. All the effects of the real world, they never were allowed to know, made him wonder and feel pleasant. Gabriel forgot the coldness and the only thing he could do was trying to recognize all the new things.
Slowly the sled came to a stop, Jonas stand up and took Gabriel on his arm. One thing he already realized in this village earlier was that all the doors were closed.
Slowly the sled came to a stop, Jonas stand up and took Gabriel on his arm. One thing he already realized in this village earlier was that all the doors were closed.
He walked through the white landscape and suddenly heard some voices whispering. After he rounded the corner of a house he stood before a next house. Now the voices which were singing, sounded louder. But this was not the special thing about this house, it had an open door. He wondered about it and slowly advanced this dwelling. When he stood before the entry with the little newchild on his arms, a woman came to the door and Jonas supposed she wanted to close it. “Oh” she said when she discovers the two children. “What are you doing here, guys?” she asked in a gentle voice. “Where’s your family and why don’t you celebrate Christmas with them?”
Jonas hesitated before he answered: “No, we don’t have a family any longer. It’s a difficult story. The point is, Gabriel and I are on our own now.”
“That’s horrible! Can I do anything for you? Or please, just come in at first.” She said emotional. She went into the room again and held the door open for Jonas and Gabriel. Slowly the boy followed her and entered the floor of the house. “Thank you, that’s a very great offer.” Jonas thanked her. He carefully put Gabriel down to the ground and took of his shoes. The woman opened the next door for the children and asked for them to come in. Jonas lifted Gabriel again on his arm and moved into the next room. And then he arrived at his first celebration of Christmas.
He only felt enthusiasm and was totally convinced by his decision to leave. There was a big fir tree in one corner of the room. Balls in every possible color hung at the tree and the chain of lights illuminated the whole room. Around it laid gifts, some of them were already opened, some packages were still closed. And there were people, two old persons, a man and a woman and the woman who opened the door for them stood next to another man. They all looked happy and full of satisfaction. Jonas guessed the old persons could be the grandparents of the two children who were playing at the ground with their new toys. His own grandparents he was never allowed to know. Nearly it seemed like this drove him sad, but before he permitted the feeling to come, he distracted himself to put attention to the attendant people.
Suddenly, a young girl came downstairs from the right. Jonas looked up to her and froze. The young girl which leaved the stairs now and approached him now did exactly look the same like Fiona.
My idea was to pick up the story Lily created one evening. She thought about what would be if everyone would have a twin brother or sister anywhere else.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Chapters 18 - 20: Pictures
I searched for a few pictures which would show the plan of Jonas and the Giver to escape.
At first, The Giver gives Jonas more of the memories of courage and strength. They should help him on his journey to find the Elsewhere.
Jonas leaves a note on his bed for his parents. He would be back for the Ceremony and they won’t worry at first.
He hides his bike and his clothes which he takes with him for the journey in a bush.
He makes his way through the dark and arrives at the Annex. The Giver will order a vehicle and a driver. When he distracts the driver with giving him a brief errand, Jonas enters the vehicle and hides in the storage area.
The community members notice Jonas’ absence and make sorrows for it.
The Giver comes back and declares that Jonas was lost in the river. He begins the Ceremony of Loss.
Sources:
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Chapters 16 + 17: Thoughts / impressions / feelings while reading
Page 97 ll. 4 – 24:
Does the author describe a celebration of Christmas?
Page 98 ll. 19-21:
Why won’t the parents be a part of their children’s lives anymore? The children wouldn’t even visit their parents’ celebration of release. I think this is really sad, but because there are no feelings in the whole community, I guess they don’t feel so. I would say the people don’t consider at all what this release really means. This is only a rule and they comply with it.
Page 98 ll. 34 – 38:
This is the first time that the reader gets obviously to know that there is any love in the community → Jonas stands for all members.
Page 99 ll. 14 – 17:
When I read this I thought about how a world would look like without love.
Page 100 ll. 24 – 33:
Did Jonas give Gabriel more of his new memories? If yes, why did he do this? The memories would be away and released. So neither he, nor somebody can grasp them anymore. I think this is a little bit sad, even if Jonas only gave him small memories.
Page 101, ll. 12 – 16:
This is the proof that Jonas gave the memories completely away. I asked myself, whether he isn’t sad about having the memories no more?
Page 101, ll. 20 – 23:
Jonas leaves the pill out for the first time. Why exactly does he do this? Does he expect that something special would happen? I would say, the Stirrings will come back to him. Will he feel some love with them? Do they emphasize the feeling of love which he already received by the Giver?
Page 102, ll. 17- 21:
This excerpt proves that the Stirrings cause feelings. So in the community, it’s forbidden to receive these feelings. But why do they think that they are wrong. Why did they appoint this rule, to take the pill and so on? I guess they want to get rid of chaos which could be activated by feelings of for example love.
Page 104, ll. 1 – 10:
I perceived that Jonas friends are still together and are still playing games. I guess it was one point on which he was worried. Here’s the proof that there are still friends and games and that Jonas’ doubts and fear about losing his friends was without reason.
Page 105, ll. 22 – 27:
He mentioned that he would like to go for a walk or a ride with Fiona at the river. But he also said that this isn’t possible. I asked myself whether it’s impossible and whether there could not be a good friendship between a girl and a boy. Or why there couldn’t be a real relationship between the people.
Page 106, ll. 1 – 5:
What I asked myself the whole time was whether there are only bikes in the community?!
Page 107, l. 4 – 5:
Where is this “Elsewhere” which they always mention? Is it another, second ‘world’, but on the same planet or another community? And does nobody think about it, about what would happen on his or her release? Do they never ask and want to understand something ‘new’?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Chapters 13 - 15: Mind map
When I read chapters 13, 14 and 15 I thought about this world, Jonas lives in. I imagined a world in pure sameness and without all those memories, which the Receiver takes inside. I guess this world without decisions, colors and so far an own character would be very boring. So I made a brainstorming and a mind map in which I collected my ideas about this world and what effect it would have to everyone.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Chapters 11+12: Interview
Interview with The Giver about Jonas:
Interviewer: Hello the Giver! Nice to meet you and that you found some time to talk with me, I’m very delighted about this.
The Giver: Yes, nice to meet you, too. I’m interested in this conversation and I hope I won’t get too tired.
Interviewer: Oh, that’s a good introduction for what I want to talk about with you. You said now, you’re tired. I guess that’s because you’re very old now, isn’t it?
The Giver: Yeah, that’s in some point right, too. But that’s not the only and main reason for it. I did my work such a long time and it made me weary. When Jonas and I personally met the first time, I told him, too, that I look as if I should be scheduled for release very soon. But there’s enough time left to live.
Interviewer: That sounds well. So… you already mentioned your student, your successor in your talk, Jonas. All members in the community including me, of course, respect Jonas very much since now. But please tell me, how does it work, the training with him?
The Giver: So, you know that I can’t tell you exactly something about what we do and how my work with him is going on, that would be against the rules. But so far, I can say that he’s doing very well, until now. We had a good start and although we had only two trainings, he became more self-confident about the thing with the pain.
Interviewer: Seems like a good characteristic for a new Receiver, whatever this really means, but I guess Jonas does already know this. I can’t imagine quite well, whether this conferment (Übertragung) has an effect to you for example or the other members. Could you please tell me something about this?
The Giver: Yes, I can say that there won’t be a change for the community-members. Everything will remain the same as now. It will only be different for Jonas and me: He’ll learn new things and I will lose these. I guess that this sounds strange to you but I can't go into more detail.
Interviewer: I know, it’s forbidden. So I still have another question: There is a difference between this selection of Jonas and the other “normal” assignments, isn’t it?
The Giver: Of course, there’s a difference! Whether it is a big one difference, or it isn’t, is another question. But you can say that every assignment is important. Every assignment has to be supported in every year so we always need students for the assignments. In this case of Jonas assignment there’s the difference because when we work together, he takes step by step a little weight of my loaded shoulders. When someone else of the community is assigned, he or she gets the new information in an appointed space of time. But this time with Jonas, I don’t know how long time it will take me to teach him. We will see and so far how we already get, I’m content with our work.
Interviewer: So I see that you’re getting tired and I guess I asked all my questions. Thank you very much for this interview. I’m very delighted that you made it possible because I know how strict the rules in our community are. Thank you very much.
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