The thin line between utopia and dystopia tends to be overlooked by people as they are blinded by the numerous beliefs and interpretations that construct an idealistic society. Lois Lowry published The Giver in 1993 after witnessing the suffering and emotional turmoil his father endured while battling Alzheimer's, which inspired Lowry to create a fictional world in which there was no pain or painful memories. Author AE Samaan once quoted "All utopias are dystopias." This statement reflects the seemingly perfect world of The Giver is set in a seemingly superficial utopia that follows the protagonist Jonas as he encounters memories of the past stored in the mind of the eponymous Giver. As the reader progresses, the façade of the perfect society quickly fades away as Jonas begins to contemplate the way his community operates and struggles with the rigid norms of his society. It is believed that to achieve utopia it is necessary to eradicate many aspects that contribute to human suffering. However, this also eliminates the many positive aspects closely linked to such suffering that prevent us from achieving true happiness. The community's controlled lifestyle, lack of emotion, and non-existent diversity contribute to the dysfunctional nature within the novel, portraying the disastrous effect it would have if these elements were reenacted in contemporary society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayEverything from birth to death is decided for you in The Giver's society as it is believed that this will support a safe and painless lifestyle that prohibits people from making their own decisions. Individuals are advised on whom to marry, choices of clothing, family units, family, occupations, and emotions that determine predictable and controlled lifestyles without the decision stating: "community members must adhere to the rules of their age group or job". Due to the communities' ignorance, they cannot make their own choices and are governed by a strict set of regulations. A daily ritual for the community is the discussion of feelings and the telling of dreams. On the surface these acts may appear to promote mental health, but the purpose of these exercises is to expose the underlying emotions that the community feels so that they can take any necessary steps to prevent deviance from expected standards. It is mandatory that all dreams and feelings are shared. In the first chapter of The Tale of Feelings, «Jonas would have preferred to keep his feelings hidden. But this obviously goes against the rules." Throughout the novel, euphemisms are used to hide the true meaning of terms that would otherwise cause discomfort to the population. This is to keep citizens compliant with the committee. The term Liberation is used extensively throughout the book and is generally a joyful situation that depends on the conditions of Liberation in the Elsewhere, a place deemed pleasant to which the Liberated are sent. However, we discover that Liberation refers to death by euthanasia and Elsewhere is the afterlife. The community members are unable to understand what death is because of his gentle phrase. Jonas understands what liberation is when the Giver shows him his father liberating a newborn baby. His father is blissfully unaware of what is really happening. "'I know. It hurts, little guy... All done. It wasn't that bad, was it?' Jonas heard his father say cheerfully the community's controlled lifestyle allows the committee to do thebrainwashing members into compliance, creating a facade of utopia from a broken and lackluster dystopia. To make the community adapt to the Elder's ploy for equality, they "gained control of many things but had to let others go", eliminating diversity. The Giver's world is literally black and white as it lacks of color. This is in order to promote the idea of ​​identity as they can focus more on work and follow the rules instead of worrying if their shirt matches their shoes. The color symbolizes emotion and the committee controls it because they want to keeping community members in a reduced state. Although color seems like a simple concept, the more you think about it, the more you realize how closely connected color is to individuality. Eliminating color also eliminates color prejudice. The Giver states: “There was once a time when meat had many different colors. Today, meat is all the same.” This is beneficial to society because people of color should not have to endure racism . However, you could also argue that their race, and therefore their culture, is what sets them apart from the crowd and is a catalyst for the many different values ​​a person can have. Without experiencing color, you would not be able to experience the world in its true beauty. If all were equal, there would be no excuse for war or violence. If life were “equal” it would mean that no one would experience anything better or worse than anyone else. There would be no homelessness, hunger or unemployment. However, without the opportunity to explore outside of their comfort zone, this hinders the growth and development of the community as a whole as they would not know how to appreciate themselves and those around them for their unique abilities without being able to recognize them . Since its conception, the rule of equality has remained unchanged since it takes a "long" time to change the rules and that "there is nothing that can be done", and that "it has always been this way... Even before of those who came before you." We could not become pioneers because many things we create today have a strong influence on society. In an identity community, if one person gains power, it changes everything leading to a disorder that an identity society would not be able to deal with. By discouraging diversity - of speech, thought, action, expression - we risk retreating towards a courtesy in which conformity is praised and diversity is punished. The committee strips community members of negative emotions such as hatred, envy and pain, but at the same time sacrificed true happiness and pleasure. An individual's emotions are an essential part of what makes up a person and without them you would be a hollow, empty shell. When Jonas is immersed in his training and discovers the many different emotions, he feels disconnected from the people around him as they cannot understand the depth of the different emotions he may feel as he "feels so much love for Asher and Fiona but they couldn't feel it back without the memories he couldn't give.' This lack of memories distances people from each other, preventing their independent thinking which would lead to the prevention of actions that would lead to conflict and suffering. harmony, but memories are still necessary to avoid the repetition of past mistakes. This is why there is a Receiver; to carry the burden of memories for his community. But without memory there is no pain or happiness is highlighted in this novel as she is non-existent in Jonas' society as the Giver.