The End!

Hello everyone! I suppose this is my last post =(. I've had a great time posting and commenting! Thank you 2M and Thank you Ms Li! Hope you enjoyed! Do turn on your "speakers"! (Even though Jonas can't do it in his dwelling, you can!)

Post Scriptum (PS) Below is the answers to the Spot-The-Differences! Enjoy!

Sheer Cheers!
Joveena :)

My Life-- A Poem

My Life

My life was as boring as a clean black slate

Until the Chief Elder sealed my fate

During the Ceremony of Twelve, she’d skipped me!

And later told me that I’m the next Receiver of Memory…

My heart had skipped to my throat!

My courage had sailed away in a sailboat…

On my first day of training, I met the Giver

And after that my grey skies became azure

In the Annex room, I felt pleasure and pain

After that my life was colourful and never mundane…

I found myself yearning more and more

To experience life in days of yore

I wanted the freedom to choose!

To bemuse or to confuse

To laugh or to cry

To have cake or pie

I tried sharing them with my friends and Lily

But they couldn’t understand why I was being uncanny

Then once, as I thought about the beautiful sail

I was putting Gabe to sleep, making sure he doesn’t wail

And all of a sudden, it became dimmer

The memory had lost its shimmer!

I was giving it away!

But I stopped halfway

The fact that I can Give memories frazzled me greatly

I could still see the memory but rather dimly

But mostly, I was thrilled to be able to share my memories

I was frightened and yet I felt like I owned golden Geese.

I found myself learning many things too!

What is hue and what is dew

What is lame and what is shame

What is fame and what is flame

What are bees and what is Release and—

Hang on. “Giver, what exactly is Release?”

He showed me what it was and then—WOW! I’ve HAD IT!

I allowed shock to break me apart bit my bit

Release was… was… was… MURDER!

And performing it on a baby was my FATHER!

I was (looking for the right word) traumatised!

I simply… capsized!

“This cannot go on” the Giver and I decided

We racked our brains and pondered…

What action do we take?

That’s it! An escape I’ve to make!

To transmit my Memories to the people

So that they’ll realise that they’ve been brutal.

Apprehension covered me like a coat

But I reclaimed my courage from the sailboat

We made a plan, a possible sovereign remedy

We thought some more and finally were almost ready.

I went “home” the next day, tired and displeased

As, to my distress, I found out that Gabe is to be Released!

That night, I brought forward the plan I made with the Giver

You know, the one we made to deliver

The people of the Community from Sameness

But I took Gabe with me too, away from the greyness

We cycled and made our way to Elsewhere

Initially, search planes searched for us everywhere

But I used memories of snow

To make us as cold as Pluto

Days whizzed past like aeons

But my trudge was still as interesting as crayons

I began to exist in the world in my memories

I truly experienced Nature and its beauties

I was growing increasingly tired

For Elsewhere I longingly desired

Then I saw something glaring white – snow

I cuddled Gabe close to me; I was shivering, wobbling like Jell-o

I climbed up a snow hill

Gathering up every bit of skill

I heard something sweet; harmonious

I saw something bright, glorious

It’s still freezing probably colder than Pluto

But I wouldn’t have a chance to know

For I felt the warmth of love wrapping me like a blanket

And Gabe too! I smelt something wonderful – omelette

But the presence of family and love beat them all

“Jonas!” “Gabe!” They started to call

They welcomed them into their dwelling, I mean home

It felt like eating honey, straight from the comb!

I would never trade this for anything

Not even for more frosting!

By Yours Truly =)

Sincere thanks to Alysia Lim, a source of inspiration =)

Hope You guys enjoyed it and hope it wasn't too long!=)

I wrote this poem from Jonas' point of view from the moment he was Selected to become the Receiver to the point where he and Gabe found a home "Elsewhere".The ending was speculated, though.

Simple similes and rhymes are used. For example " I felt like owning golden geese" and "eating honey, straight from the comb" (I hope) shows that Jonas is simply stated, happy.

This poem depicts Jonas' feelings at various points of his memory-receiving journey and during his journey to Elsewhere. Happiness, shock and wonder are examples of emotions and feelings he feels. He truly feels these emotions after receiving memories. The last few stanzas also involve LOVE. This strong, genuine and not at all obsolete liking for another person is displayed by Jonas towards his friends, his family, Gabe and the Giver.Which is precisely why red was the first colour he saw.

There are a few instances of colour in this poem. From "grey skies" to "azure" skies, we can see Jonas' progress in seeing colours.

Lets observe a few stanzas, shall we, folks? The first stanza is about Jonas being Selected to become the next Receiver of Memory. He feels unprepared to be burdened with such a huge responsibility. The fourth stanza shows his desperation to share his memories with others. The seventh stanza portrays Jonas' stupefaction in discovering that to Release was to murder and that his father was a murderer. In the eleventh stanza, Jonas brings forward his plan, to save Gabe's life and hence is displaying his affection and love for him. In the last two stanzas, Jonas and Gabe reach Elsewhere, are jubilant and are warmly welcomed by a family. " I would never trade this for anything, not even for more frosting" actually is supposed to mean that he was eating frosting for the first time and absolutely loves it but loves the feeling of love more.

Class Discussion on Sameness and Differences

Hullo Everyone!=) Can you spot the differences between the two pictures posted on the right? There are five to be spotted! All the best and have fun!... I'll post the answer in another post, alright?

Well now, Do you want to know why I asked you to do so? On Tuesday, we were discussing about whether Jonas' society honours differences valued Sameness.

It seems to me (and to everyone else, I bet) that Jonas' society is one that values Sameness and not one that honours differences.

Firstly, all the Assignments are not equal and respected. Some are considered more prestigious than others. For instance, the Assignment of a Birthmother is not as well respected as, let's see, a Judge in the Department of Law and Justice? This is evident from the fact that Lily's Mother said that "there is very little honour in that assignment". However, the Assignment of a Judge in the Department of Law and Justice is considered important and "prominent" therefore showing that her job is highly respected.

The system of allocating people their Assignments shows that there is total control over the Community, not just over colour or weather and so on but also over the citizens and their lives as well! The people have no liberty to choose! Everything is pre-planned and decided for them! They can't choose their jobs but are assigned to it. However, the people don't seem to mind it! For instance, they've never complained or wondered or questioned why they were Assigned to that particular job but they just receive it as though it was perfect for them! Although "there's an appeal process", it seems like an illusion, I suppose, probably there just to convince us that the Society Jonas lives in is somewhat democratic. Appeals went to the committee for study, which takes forever to process them that one would rather stay in the job he or she is Assigned to.

The Chief Elder claims that the Assignments are a way of honouring differences. However, this is not true. The Community values sameness. I mean, they're discouraging individuality by making sure that there are only 50 babies born every year and that everybody shares the same birth date. Every Male above Ten has the same haircut and everyone shares the same clothing! In these ways and many more, they value Sameness. People in the Community do not honour differences, they point it out. Lily calling Jonas' pale eyes "funny", is an example of pointing out one's difference; it is not appreciating differences, it is more or less like isolating them. Jonas feels left out, like a loner, when he is not Assigned but Selected to become the next Receiver. Furthermore, hierarchies and stereotypes exist within the community; Jobs or Assignments being ranked is an example. This proves that differences cannot be eradicated no matter how the people in the Community try to.

In our world I think it is a mixture of both, although I personally feel that honouring differences is important, so as to improve one's self-esteem. The two pictures above seem very similar and yet, minute, and maybe even insignificant changes contribute to making them two different pictures, don't they? Differences should not be ignored. Neither should they be criticised. That's what I feel=).

Well then, I suppose that's it for now! Look out for the answer to the Spot-The-Difference! Ta-ta! =)

Photo Montage

Baby Gabe

This photograph of a baby with pale eyes represents baby Gabe. This photo presents an innocent-looking baby, suitable for baby Gabe. Gabe is a pale eyed baby who doesn’t develop as fast as a baby is supposed to and therefore, is brought to Jonas’ home from the Nurturing Centre to be given special care and attention. Babies are often a sign of hope and a new start and in The Giver, Gabe is too. He is a symbol of a brighter future for the Community as he isn’t bound by the rules of the Community as he can still access the great memories Jonas transmits to him. Both Gabe and Jonas have pale eyes and can receive memories. Jonas identifies himself with Gabe. He becomes Jonas’ Receiver during his stay at their house and is the reason for Jonas to carry out the Giver’s plan ahead of time.

The colour red

This picture presents the different shades of the colour red. Red is the first colour Jonas starts to see. Generally, and in this book too, red symbolises love, passion and well, just intense feelings. These are some things the citizens don’t experience but Jonas does. When Jonas starts to se the colour red, he's also starting to feel intense emotions. It also Illustrares how Jonas is different and separated from the rest of the Community as the others are not able to see the colour red or any other colour for that matter.

The Pale Eyes

This picture of a blue eye represents the pale eyes of Jonas, the Giver and baby Gabe, who have the ability to receive memories. The pale eyes show depth and thus imply that those with pale eyes are perceptive and can see ‘beyond’ and are insightful. It also symbolises separation from his Community, as very few people have pale eyes, showing that he is different. This difference shows that it is impossible for the Community to take control of nature completely, no matter how hard they try.

This picture represents the sled Jonas used to go down the slope of a snow hill in his first memory given by the Giver. Since Jonas goes down the snow hill on the sled in his first memory, the sled can symbolise a new journey. In the case of the Giver, the journey Jonas is about to undertake is discovering about the life of the past, about feelings, colours, and so on through the memories the Giver transfers to him. The sled is related to both pleasure and pain as Jonas’ first memory of pleasure and first memory of pain both involved the sled. This explains and signifies that they, i.e. pain and pleasure, are inter-linked and that one cannot exist without the other. In the end, when Jonas really uses sled, he learns that the emotions he experienced in his memories are possible in reality. I suppose it also symbolises hope as when it seemed to be the darkest, coldest, most hopeless moment towards the end of the novel, when Jonas was using his “final strength”, he found the sled.