Category: Literature Review

Jonas is the protagonist in the book named The Giver. The Giver is about a futuristic utopian society which has tried to relieve its citizens of choices to ensure sameness, fairness, and equality. We start reading with Jonas who is eleven years old; in the book every December they hold a ceremony where each child moves up a year in school and receives special privileges. When Jonas turns 12, he will have his future job assigned to him. This essay will talk about how the author of the Giver uses ‘Jonas’ view to show us the power. Rights are what can he do that is apart and responsibilities with how he uses his power.

How does Jonas have honour and not power? Jonas has pale eyes, which are rare in his society but later he notices Gabriel, a child who his father cares for and sometimes brings home for extra help, has them too.

In the community each morning the family unit is supposed to share their dreams with one another. Jonas, before turning 12 told his family about every dream he had; one time he shared his dream about that he has with Fiona, a girl in his class, his mother tells him to begin taking a pill every morning that will stop these ‘stirrings.’ Every evening the family shares their feelings from the day and encourages each other to work through them. This is one the responsibilities in the community.

In the community they do not know much about the past because only the receiver of memory can store them in his mind and keep all the past people have been suffering from all colour, to race and all the pain they have been feeling. That is one the receiver of memory’s jobs.

When Jonas is given his rule book, it tells him to report to the Annex entrance behind the house of the old each day, go home after training each day, he is exempt from rudeness and that he may ask questions and get answers from anyone; another one of his rules instructs him not to discuss his training with anyone. His fifth rule prohibits him from dream-telling, which was a surprise to him, because telling and analysing dreams is a routine that every family in the community does together.

The sixth rule tells him not to ever apply for medication unless it is unrelated to his job. This is a heads-up that his job might be painful, and he will not be allowed to take medicine for it.

The seventh rule says that he is not allowed to apply for release. This does not bother Jonas, as he cannot fathom ever wanting to apply for release anyway. The last rule is the most unnerving, though: ‘You may lie.’ No one in the community was ever allowed to lie! This makes Jonas wonder, however, how many other people received this same rule, and how many people did actually lie. This the right of Jonas and his responsibilities. ‘Jonas’ power is the ability to see beyond.

Jonas develops his ability to see beyond when the Giver transmits colours to him. The Giver also has to pass along painful memories, such as injuries, starvation, and war to Jonas because it was part of the job. Jonas who had never experienced true pain in his life found it too painful to handle. Later Jonas learns what release means when he watches a video of his father injecting an infant with a syringe to the forehead in order to kill it.

In the novel ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry, the main protagonist is faced with an important decision when he learns of the true meaning of ‘Release’. He (Jonas) lives in a ‘Community’ where a decision had previously been made to create a ‘utopian’ (perfect) society by eliminating all things that were considered potentially dangerous. In doing so, the Elders removed the collective memory of the inhabitants of the Community, thus removing freedom of choice. They thought that by making all the important choices for the people themselves, no one would ever be hurt. Their plan worked to some extent; however without memory of the past, the inhabitants of the Community were unable to see colours, hear music and experience true feelings. Jonas, and his mentor (The Giver) are the only ones with access to memories of the time before ‘Sameness’ was introduced. After learning that the elderly and young newborns who do not conform to the society’s standards are not ‘Released’ into ‘Elsewhere’ but are in reality injected with a lethal dose of chemicals, Jonas decides to sacrifice his own safety in order to return the memories he has to their rightful owners.

This decision had a major impact on a young boy named Gabriel (who has the same capacity to receive memories as Jonas and the Giver) whose life is saved. Gabriel had been one of the few children who did not live up to the Community’s ‘expectations’ – he is underweight. Gabriel is then scheduled to be Released. Luckily, his life is spared when Jonas escapes from the Community – taking Gabriel with him. In the novel, the Newchild Gabriel is a symbol of hope and starting over. Should Gabriel have been killed, it would represent the death of hope for the Community. However, when Jonas takes Gabriel away with him, his gesture is symbolic of his determination to change things, and his struggles to maintain his ideals in the face of difficulty. Jonas’ decision also had an significant effect on the lives of the inhabitants of the Community.

Although not portrayed in the novel, we can assume that with the return of their memories the people would be able to lead much ‘fuller’ lives with more meaning. They would no longer be stuck in a ‘grey’ world – devoid of colour, music and emotion – but be able to make their own choices, and learn from their own mistakes. In effect, with the sacrifice of his own security, Jonas gives back to his people their individuality and personal dreams.

In particular, Jonas’ decision would have greatly impacted one character – his friend and mentor, the Giver. “I loved her, [referring to Rosemary, the Giver’s daughter]” the Giver says, “Just as I love you.” The Giver considers Jonas like family – his son. Emotionally, Jonas’ departure would cause the Giver enormous sorrow.

Also, with the return of their memories, the inhabitants of the Community would at first be extremely scared and perhaps angry. In their confusion, it would be the Giver that they turn to – the one they know will have the answers. The Giver must deal with all these people before he himself can fully appreciate the joy of being able to share the memories with others.

In conclusion, the decision Jonas makes to bring colours and feeling back to his Community has great effect on the Newchild Gabriel, his mentor, the Giver and all the inhabitants of the Community. His own sacrifice adds significance to Jonas’ choice to escape the Community, and flee to the Elsewhere.

It’s this thought, this notion of absolute compliance felt by those submitted to authority which allows power and control to be established and maintained. Imagine believing something to be the complete truth, then realising it was all a lie. A falsehood by those in power forcing you to conform without question. All previously thought values you held dear falling apart from this sudden awakening. This understanding occurs to only a few in dystopian worlds. In all dystopian societies reflected in texts and novels, governments have total control and dominion over all people. Individual identities, actions and choices are strictly limited, shaped and controlled by powerful institutions or groups. This fierce, unrelenting suppression of individuality by the fist of the government allows them to control society, forcing all to obey mindlessly. If everyone is the same, why would anyone want to be different? New York Times best-selling author Kaleb Livingstone dives into the ways power and control are established and maintained in dystopian fiction and the reason for contemporary readers profound affection for this genre comparing the texts ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ by George Orwell and ‘The Giver’ directed by Phillip Noyce.

Introduction

We all know that dystopian societies generally contain similar themes, concepts and ideas. Usually, a powerful authority reigning over everyone. Society conforms without question, believing this bright façade to be a utopia. Yet it is only when one person thinks otherwise, a once thought-to-be peaceful world drastically crumbles. Perhaps one of the most well-known dystopian texts of all time is George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1948). Displaying relevant themes including; psychological manipulation, power, oppression and society’s humanity being stripped away. The novel showcases a weak man’s rebellion against power, and his ultimate downfall portraying the true power of totalitarian governments. These themes are most closely linked to a more contemporary dystopian text, Phillip Noyce’s, the Giver (2014). The story of Jonas, an individual who is different. Fighting back against the governments’ control in a world where all are stripped of their humanity. The emotion of love has been taken by authority demonstrating the power and control they have over society. Power and control are established and maintained by governments in dystopian texts by supressing individuality and by the stripping of humanity, a feeling often felt by contemporary readers attempting to battle against authority in their own lives.

Nineteen Eighty-Four

The inexorable use of telescreens and newspeak by the government portrayed in Nineteen Eight-Four demonstrates the ways power and control are established and maintained in that dystopia. The citizens must not merely conform but display absolute love for Big Brother. “It is not enough to obey him: you must love him,” Obrien (Pg. 233). All their movements are forcibly controlled by the government due to the telescreens surrounding them at all times in the day. The power of the party relies on the telescreens. It captures all conversations, movements and even facial expressions of those governed by Big Brother. This demonstrates the party’s control of people physically, yet the mental control lies in newspeak. Newspeak prevents free thoughts and ideas removing any thoughts of unorthodoxy. “The whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought. In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it,” Syme (Pg. 53). With no existing way to deny Big Brother, total control of the citizens is guaranteed allowing the government’s power to be maintained. With complete physical and psychological control, society’s humanity is stripped away preventing individualism allowing Big Brother’s power and control to be maintained.

The giver

The way power and control is established in Noyce’s The Giver is a direct reflection of the methods used by the party in Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Giver presents a once thought to be utopia, where everyone is controlled, no one is permitted emotions and citizens are constantly monitored by cameras at all times of the day. The over-abundance of cameras used by the government in The Giver allow them to monitor all citizens actions and prevent any breaking of the rules. The thought of constantly being watched and forced to conform prevents anyone from standing out. Individuality is fiercely suppressed denying citizens any opportunity to be free, stripping them of any humanity they once had. Not only this, but the ability to express yourself has been forcibly removed, a direct parallel to Newspeak seen in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Precision of language in The Giver refers to only speaking directly, leaving words that describe emotion devoid of meaning. After Jonas learns of love he questions his father, asking him whether he is loved. His father is puzzled and cannot answer as this goes against the precision of language. His father states that he is proud of Jonas but cannot love him. Another time is when Jonas confesses his love for Fiona, and she responds saying she has feelings but no words with which to expression them. By not being able to express their feelings the government exerts almost complete psychological control over the citizens preventing individuality allowing governments control and power to be maintained.

Comparing them both with examples

Both governing bodies in Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Giver restrict individuality with dominant psychological control over society. By constantly being watched by Big Brother and the government in The Giver, society is forced to conform with total obedience. Humanity no longer exists as it is forcibly taken away. Nineteen Eighty Four’s Obrien states that “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing,” Obrien (Pg. 266). Authority in dystopian texts capitalises on this way to obtain absolute control of the citizens through orthodoxy towards the government. Newspeak and precision of language prevents expression and emotions. Individuality cannot exist being suppressed by the fist of the government. This subtle psychological control thoroughly engrained in dystopian societies allow those in power to remain. Also, the use of surveillance and being watched constantly for any false moves of unorthodoxy demonstrates the vicious power and control authority has. This scrutiny ensures complete prevention of liberty, halting any acts of rebellion allowing assertive power and control to be maintained.

Relevance to contemporary readers

Dystopian texts serve as a warning to our society. A premonition against authority and those in power. The reminder to constantly question the extent of governing body’s power and control is imbedded in the heart of all dystopian texts. The rise of dystopian fiction in contemporary audiences is due to the insurgence of protagonists against authority. In a society where these modern audiences are pressured to conform, it’s the ability to express yourself which attracts their attention. The thought of individuality, however popular it may be becoming, is still restricted by authoritative figures including teachers and parents. There is an ideal vision of life offered by these bodies which is often difficult to abide by. The pressure to conform still remains in the 21st century. It is the ability to go against this power which speaks to contemporary audiences struggling to do so in their own lives. They are drawn to the protagonists courage and ability to make change, but what they truly desire is the ability to change themselves. The power of governments in dystopian texts have the ability to strip society of its humanity and individualism. Is this dominance, this control, seen in dystopian texts not a reflection of our own society where we are all forced to conform, free of individuality? When the time comes will we be able to rise against power or will we too be stripped of our humanity and brutally oppressed as those in dystopian texts are?

The Outsiders is a bildungsroman novel, written by S.E. Hinton when she was a teenager. Although it was written in the ’70s, the themes of loyalty, isolation, and identity explored throughout the novel are still pertinent to teenagers today.

In The Outsiders, loyalty is a recurrent theme and a point of pride, honor, and principle for the greasers. Hinton displays just how important it is for adolescents to be a part of a group and feel included. The greasers understand that the true essence of being part of a gang was to “stick up for the members. If they don’t stick up for each other, stick together, make like brothers, it wasn’t a gang anymore.” One of the greatest examples of loyalty is when Johnny kills Bob because “Bob might have killed Ponyboy.” Johnny’s loyalty to Ponyboy goes so far that he is later willing to turn himself in, so Ponyboy can be reunited with his brothers. Through this loyalty, the author establishes that family is who you want it to be and the greasers are the perfect example of this timeless message. Teenagers may not have it all figured out but their loyalty is strong and that, according to Ponyboy, is the thread that holds his gang together – it cuts across their differences.

Hinton explores the epitome of teenage problems – feeling alone and unable to relate to anyone. On the contrary to what readers may perceive, amidst the love and loyalty Ponyboy receives from his brothers and the greasers he is very much isolated. Hinton confirms that isolation isn’t only physical and can occur even when you are surrounded by people who love you. This ‘emotional isolation’ is apparent when Ponyboy recognizes that “nobody in [his] gang digs movies and books the way he does.” Unlike the other Greasers, Pony is talented, driven, and has a tolerant, sensitive nature. This difference of interests is exemplified by his love for watching sunsets and literature. Darry complains that he “doesn’t use his head”. This illustrates Ponyboy’s emotional temperament that makes him more prone to act irrationally. Feeling isolated is relevant to people of any age, society, or culture and the emotions it brings are beautifully captured in the novel.

The author explores how one’s personal morals and views overshadow the group identity an individual may take on. For example, Ponyboy does not fit the stereotype of a typical ‘hood’. While he is a greaser he is not totally devoted to the gang’s way of life. He is on a journey to find his own path and voice, after the events surrounding Bob’s death cause Ponyboy to think deeper about who he wants to be. A literary technique that supports this argument is the full-circle ending. The first and last lines of the book are: ‘When I stepped out into the bright light of the sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.’ This full-circle ending suggests that Ponyboy does not change despite the circumstances of the novel. This is echoed in Johnny’s advice to Ponyboy to ‘stay golden.’ Despite the violence and horror around him, Ponyboy remains true to himself. His identity is rooted in something deeper than his external circumstances. Just like Ponyboy, teenagers today are more than the cliques they lock themselves into. While the lines between a group and personal identity can become blurred, Hinton challenges the idea that one’s identity is determined by external circumstances.

Conclusion

Hinton’s cult classic novel, The Outsiders, is still relevant to teenagers today. The author emphasizes the significance of loyalty to form strong and meaningful bonds. She also establishes that isolation can occur amidst all the love in the world and that one’s identity is more than the group you are part of or your external circumstances.

The Novel, The Giver, by Lois Lowry allows readers to examine many hidden lessons and messages throughout the story. In the book, we follow Jonas’ journey in learning the unpleasant truth about his community and his attempt to save its people before they destroy themselves. Many themes and messages are brought to light in the novel, like the negative impact of being unable to make your own decisions and being fully pulled away from your freedom. It showcases how important it is to know your true identity and how wisdom and knowledge is a key factor that influences your future actions. By illuminating these issues to the reader, Lois Lowry educates them on how these messages are essential, for we could eventually experience a similar situation in the future.

People often underestimate the power and privilege they have to be able to make their own choices in life. In the novel, Lois Lowry highlights the negative effects of being controlled in a society where people are forbidden from having basic rights. They are completely blind-sided to the evil that occurs behind the scenes. Without choice comes no freedom. They must all follow a set of extremely strict rules otherwise they will suffer unreasonable consequences such as release. They have zero control over what jobs they pursue, where they live, who their partners will be, what they wear, and even their own personal feelings. They are completely being ripped apart from their freedom. Though no one is aware that colors and feelings exist, the members of the community aren’t exposed enough to the control people have over them. Jonas soon comes to realize the lack of choice the community has. “If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things. A blue tonic or a red one” Chapter 12 Page 127, Jonas is found expressing his bitter perspective of wanting to appreciate the simple decisions they could potentially be making if it wasn’t for sameness. “You’re very close to being an eight, and when you’re eight, your comfort object will be taken away” Chapter 2 Page 37. This shows a clear example of a rule the community has created to prevent feelings at a young age. By taking away this comfort toy, they are teaching the community to let go of their feelings one by one until eventually there are none left. These statements by Jonas show how frustrating it is to watch your own community suffer in a life they don’t deserve; this then leads them to rebel or disobeying the rules like how Jonas is with his attempt to escape. This then leads back to why there are many negative outcomes from feeling trapped and isolated.

Identity is what makes us unique as an individual. It is what makes are different from other people. Lois Lowry is trying to showcase a lesson about how important it is to know your true identity. Our personality and identity are what truly make us human. People in the community are being treated as a bunch of puppets and robot-like people. There is no uniqueness, and sameness has completely taken over. From not being able to show your true personality and not knowing whether what you’re doing is wrongful, Jonas faces many hardships trying to understand and overcome the feeling of dullness in the community. ‘He killed it! My father killed it” Page 188 Chapter 19. It shows the pain and disbelief Jonas experiences as he watches his own father kill a new child. This then leads back to identity because his father is unaware that what he had committed was murder. They have been brainwashed to forget their real identity and to follow a system where they are clueless as to what they are doing. They also cannot see color, “As he looked up and towards her going through the door, it happened; she changed.”, “….It seemed to be just her hair” Page 118 Chapter 12. With this slight flash of color, Jonas is able to see, it proves how simple appearances such as the color of your hair can differentiate people. This proves the message the author is trying to promote. That not everyone is like what they seem and that they have become brainwashed to act a specific way.

Wisdom and knowledge are an essential part of the perspective you see things and the way you choose to approach situations. It shows how someone who has knowledge is someone who has power and power comes big responsibilities. Wisdom allows someone to learn something and apply it to future issues. Knowledge creates an understanding of the society we live in and shows how much of an impact it creates to be knowledgeable. In the novel, The Giver and Jonas have a prime responsibility to carry memories of the community. Jonas takes on the role of receiving memories and having the bravery to witness a variety of feelings that are new to him such as pain, anger, joy, and even heat. The Giver’s memories get more subtle and faint as he transfers them to Jonas day by day. On page 145, chapter 14 the giver states, “They don’t want to hear about the pain. They just seek the advice”, meaning the committee of elders constantly approach The Giver for advice which is where wisdom and knowledge play a major role. On page 145, chapter 14 he also says, “They prepared to shoot it down. But they sought my advice. I told them to wait”. This quote shows how knowledge plays a key part in avoiding repetitive mistakes and incidents that have happened in the past. From the share of memories Jonas has received, he experiences the feeling of shock and fear when he came to a realization as to what release meant on page 188, chapter 19, “As he continued to watch, the new child, no longer crying moved his arms and legs in a jerking motion. Then he went limp. His head fell to the side, his eyes half-open.” The author successfully shares this message to readers through The Giver and Jonas and educates us on a lesson about how being aware and knowledgeable is extremely valuable in a community where everything is being covered up with the illusion of perfection.

In effect, Lois Lowry teaches her audience lessons by disguising them throughout the story. The lessons that The Giver teaches could become useful to society in time like previously mentioned for we could witness comparable circumstances in the future. These themes and messages give readers an idea and understanding of the rules.

In most cases, feelings, emotions, and passions don’t seem to have a proper role in the truth that logic aims to achieve. Various logical fallacies stem from them, making such human experiences a nuisance to the pursuit of objective truths. We lose sight of the actual argument and topic because of argumentum ad hominem, and misericordiam, baculum and appeal to desire are all fallacies that are inappropriate methods of supporting a claim. Each one of these fallacies abuses a human’s capacity for feelings and emotions, making arguments and debates, illogical. So, does this mean that such human traits have no place in the logical world?

In “The Giver”, Jonas is the receiver who can view two worlds, one where such characteristics as emotions and passions had once existed, and the other, current world where they do not. Immediately, he seeks to share his knowledge and experiences with those around him, deciding that a world where emotions and passions exist is much better than the purely economical and efficient world that the community has become. Throughout the film, we are shown that the people living in the dystopian world have lost many things that were once common to humans because of their desire to create a logical and precise place for people. And after Jonas returns the memories, there is the assumption that humans decide to keep these memories and revert to their old system filled with emotions and passions. It is not shown, but it is highly likely that the community would change the system altogether, letting its children decide on their jobs in the future, allow birthparents to see their children, and even allow a return to the imprecise language of the past, which though may lead to confusion, is full of color and interpretations.

In some ways, there is a parallel between the argument of the film and the concept of logic. One could say that the community embodies logic and the objective truth of the world, whose rules and regulations are all planned to create the perfect, efficient world. In another sense, one could say that Jonas and the Giver present the colorful, complete experience of humanity with all their emotions and fallacies. This full experience of humanity, with the ups and downs, is what Jonas deems as the truth, and to an extent this is true since logic is not completely devoid of the human experience. Tapping into such aspects of life allows logicians to see multiple layers in the viewing of their arguments, but of course, the overpowering of such feelings would also lead to a lack of logical conclusions.

Instead of eliminating feelings and emotions, people should aim to control and utilize them in arguments because there are also cases where these human traits can be used to develop new lenses to view arguments, thus creating other conclusions. Solutions should not be brought upon because of enslavement to what the heart says, but in a sense, what humans feel may be a supplement or a support to the logical conclusion. In the end, logic must have the final say because it is the systematic processing of all evidence, proofs, and arguments to bring upon a fair, and justifiable answer. But these emotions and passions could very well have a significant role in finding potentially good claims which may not have been exposed without this human experience or filtering the bad claims that are brought upon by feelings.

In the film, the story ends right when Jonas has returned the memories to the community, the viewers are left to dwell on the uncertain future of the community. Would they completely revert to the old ways of people, bringing back not only the good of society, but also the bad such as war, death, and sadness? Or would the elders find a way to finally put an end to the chaos of the Giver and the Receiver, contain the problem and do away with memories altogether, after all, it was their refusal to forget the past that led them back to it. Or perhaps, a new community could be born, through the experience of life with and without memory and emotion, which could lead to another, more efficient, yet, still human, form of society that allows human emotion and pure logic to harmoniously work together to further human life.

Abstract

Literature is a writing measured to be as art form or any single writing thought to have intellectual value, often due to deploying language in ways that differ from ordinary usage. It deals with nature and man’s relationship with external world. It has traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose. The word ‘subaltern’ means inferior rank. It chooses a lower-ranking, even an inferior, individual. Mrinal Pande(1946) is an Indian Television, Personality, Journalist and author. In 2009, she was the chief editor of Hindi Daily Hindustan. She wrote many short stories such as Devi, Daughter’s daughter, the subject is woman, Girl. His short story “Girl”, deals with Indian women, how they are treated by society. The main protagonist of the story unnamed eight-year-old girl, who is second daughter of a middle-class family. This paper present about women condition and struggles our Indian Society.

Keyword: Gender discrimination, Male domination, Social injustice.

This paper presents about the Short story “Girl” was written by Mrinal Pande. She is Indian television Personality, Journalist and author. In 2009, She was chief editor of “Hindi Daily Hindustan”. Earlier she worked for Doordarshan and Star news. She was the editor of Popular Women’s magazine ‘Vama’. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2006. She has also written a few short stories. In her short story “Girl” deals with the way Indian Women is treated in our society. It was first published in Hindi weekly ‘Dharmyug’ in 1983. It was translated in English language weekly ‘Manushi’ in same year.

The word ‘subaltern’ means inferior rank and lower-ranking or inferiority of individual person especially the women. It refers to any person or group of inferior rank or station, whether because of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion. Subaltern writers are Wole Soyinka, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Bama, Mirnal Pande etc.

This story shows us how we treated women in our modern society. It basically tell us unjustified admiration of male child and women’s sensitive view and insincerity of some rites. The main protagonist of the story is an eight-year-old girl who is second daughter of middle-class family. She is narrator of the story and explores her view about gender inequality. Her mother was irritation to her three daughters. The three daughters represent three different attitudes of victims of gender prejudice. Its represent the narrator awareness of women’s right

The short story “Girl” was about an unnamed narrator. Her mother Lali is stressed and irritable person. Her mother was pregnant for the fourth time expecting her boy child. The eldest daughter is soft and dutiful and play the role that a girl in a male dominated society is obediently expected to fulfil. The Second daughter is rebellious. She is conscious of the partial discrimination against the girl children. She symbolizes awareness of Women’s rights. The youngest daughter understands what is going on but she represents innocence and ignorance on the part of wounded of gender injustice. Narrator’s father Babu is kind man. He thinks that his daughters want educated as it is useful for their future live. Narrator’s grandma is an old woman. She also neglects her grandchildren. The story shows us how gender injustice prevails in her family.

The narrator’s mother thinks about her children because they are girl child. She is stressed and irritate to her daughter’s particularly to her second daughter narrator of story. The narrator mother is pregnancy fourth time. She expects this time a boy child. The narrator notices her mother’s attitude. In this story, girl child are restricted to play game. They are treated as minor human in male dominating society. When the narrator enters her grandma’s house, she wishes to sit on her grandma lap, but her grandma rejected it.

This story tells us the women’s condition and discrimination in male dominating society. It is not only the men, women themselves also against the women feeling in Indian society. It deals with women’s condition and troubles in Indian society. The central theme of the story is oppression of girls in certain section of Indian society. The main protagonist of the story unnamed 9 year old girl unwillingly accepted her troubles and nuisance. She thinks that girls do not has own individuality in her life. The story also deals with Gender discrimination.

The narrator of the story hears the mother and grandma voice. They are angry with the girl child. The children are ignored the world grown up, where women are occupied in their own problem and pre-occupation. The narrator over hear the aunt’s feeling, she treated as dog in her grandma home. She also overhears the mother’s response “All of us suffer like that, one just has to endure it”. A little girl watch bird flying in outside of house, she wishes, she was born a bird and unhappily reflecting on her own status in her family. This story tell about women’s sufferings and challenges in the Indian society. ‘When God created man and woman, he was thinking, ‘Who shall I give the power to, to give birth to the next human being?’. And God chose woman. And this is the big evidence that women are powerful.’

Reference

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls_(short_story)
2. https://sol.du.ac.in/mod/book/view.php?id=80&chapterid=7
3. http://icsehelp-resources.blogspot.com/2011/07/girls-short-story-by-mrinal-pande.html

There is no doubt that henry Lawsons short stories capture unique cultural perspectives and ideas about identity. Lawson uses many different techniques to depict and illustrate the outback of Australia and the bushland. His short stories helped to shape a great image of Australia during the 19th and 20th centuries. The stories illuminate the harshness and severity of the land and how difficult it was to get by with little money and little help. He captures unique ideas about identity by using classic Australian characters and by using not yet developed characters. The setting in the stories are also very important in creating cultural perspectives and identity, most of his stories are set in small outback societies or just somewhere in the bush. Some of these stories include ‘The Drovers Wife’ and ‘Our Pipes’.

‘The Drover’s Wife’ depicts the independent life of an unnamed woman who is living in an extremely harsh environment for a woman and her kids to survive in. Lawson uses many techniques to describe the harshness of the land. The setting – the drover’s wife is set in a very remote area in the outback of Australia. “bush all round – bush with no horizon”. the writer describes the extremely unforgiving environment using repetition in the first paragraph, “no horizon”, “no ranges”, “no undergrowth”, “nothing to relieve the eye”. Isolation – “nineteen miles to the nearest sign of civilisation”. At the end of the story, another example of the landscape’s severity, “she hugs him to her worn out breast” this shows how the land can be very unforgiving to the woman and how hard the woman must work to keep herself and her children alive in the ruthless environment. The woman is depicted as a very independent woman who must get by on her own. She is also not given a name. “gaunt sun-browned bush woman”, this shows us how unforgiving the land can be to the people who live there. It also shows us that the woman looks after everything by herself. The woman’s children are also given a harsh description, “four ragged, dried up looking children”. This also reflects on the unforgiving nature of the land. The drover is always away doing other things. His wife states that he is cheating on her whilst he is away, “he may forget sometimes that he is married”. This shows how careless the Drover can be towards his wife.

‘Our Pipes’ consists some of the same characters from one of henry Lawson’s other short stories ‘Shooting The Moon’. It involves jack Mitchell and presumably the same narrator (who is not a fully developed character) from ‘Shooting The Moon’. The idea of the moon looking like a “big new copper boiler set on the edge of the horizon of the plain”, “lots of old rags and straw burning inside”, illustrates to us that the moon is a very orange colour. This can depict the harshness of the land as an orange moon can be caused by thick smoke from bushfires in the distance, this can also be related back to jack Mitchell’s childhood story about how he began smoking pipes. Henry Lawson uses repetition to show cultural perspectives, “swagmen know what that means” he says this when referring to how far they had walked during the day “we had tramped twenty-five miles on a dry stretch on a hot day”. By using the repetition, it tells us that they themselves are swagmen and are appealing to other swagmen. Swagmen are people who walk from destination to destination whilst carrying all of their goods in a swag on their back. In the short story within the short story, we hear about jack Mitchell’s mother who is in desperate attempt to stop jack from smoking. She eventually gives in and just lets him smoke. The narrator and jack Mitchell are classic Australian settlers, “we cursed society because we weren’t rich men.” This quote shows us that they are the underdogs in society, which can also relate back to them being swagmen.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is a sci-fi type novel about a society where everyone is assigned a specific job to do and no one is allowed to have feelings or memories of anything. Society is dictated by a few people in charge and the rest of the people just go about following the rules and instructions they are given. One of the main themes of the book is based on the importance of memory. The book is so interesting because it is opposite to the lifestyle we know. This book does deal with many issues, but it also teaches many lessons to be grateful for everything we have. We are so lucky to have memories and remember amazing and rough times in our lives.

Jonas is a young boy whose personality changes throughout the book. At the beginning of the story, Jonas’s personality seemed uptight, obedient, and quiet. He is being raised by people who are very obedient to society and have specific roles they are fulfilling, so he knows that his time will come to be assigned his role. When he gets chosen to be the Receiver of Memory, his attitude becomes more mature and less uptight because the Receiver of Memory is the only person within the society that is allowed to have feelings and memories. Jonas was skipped over and not assigned a role at the Ceremony of 12 which made him nervous, but then his name came up for that role “He expected to have a normal job but little did he know his job would change his life forever” (Lowry 72-73).

As Jonas begins to receive memories, he learns about feelings and emotions he has not felt before. It is interesting because we have felt them before and we don’t know what it feels like to not feel emotions. If you lived in the community in the book, The Giver, you would not remember anything from your childhood. At first, Jonas says that “There could be love” (Lowry 162) he feels for Gabriel, that is a feeling. When he learns that Gabriel, the young boy being raised by Jonas’ father, will be released, he feels pain because he has grown to love him and he knows that when someone is released from society it means likely death for that person. Another feeling Jonas feels is a change, he wants the young boy’s community to change, have colors, and especially memories. When Jonas and Gabriel escaped, Jonas would share good memories with Gabe because he wanted him to experience great feelings.

It’s so important to remember memories. Imagine not remembering any memories from your life. Jonas has to become responsible to handle all the community memories. He now experiences joy, happiness, pain, and fear for others. He cares about what happens to the people closest to him. He feels love for Fiona (a girl he likes), pain when Gabriel has to get released and amazing memories that he made with The Giver. In the text, Jonas says “that he feels bad for anyone who feels strange or stupid” (Lowry 8). He cares about people’s feelings and emotions. When Jonas was speaking to The Giver, he states “that memories are forever, he enjoyed receiving memories because it gave him happiness” (Lowry 144). To follow the previous example, The Giver says that, “without memories life is meaningless; how do you enjoy life when the good times never stay with you?” (Lowry 133).

The Giver is a story based on memories. The book made me realize how grateful I am for having memories, and the knowledge I have about my town. I feel that because Jonas could have feelings and memories it made him more knowledgeable about his community. I also think that because Jonas could help Gabriel and they were able to break free from this controlling society their lives would be changed forever. I would definitely recommend this book to others because it is an example of a story where someone has the courage to break away from the norm to help someone else. To live in a society where everyone is the same is not challenging people to have the freedom to express themselves or to share feelings and memories.

How would you like living in a world with no color, no music, and no love? Well, that’s how Jonas’s life was like. All of those things are present in the book, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, 1993, dystopian. Jonas’s community is idyllic. Everyone is assigned their jobs or assignments. This community has no conflict, inequality, divorce, unemployment, injustice, or choice. Everyone is the same, but Jonas. During the Ceremony of Twelve, he is chosen for something special. Something he doesn’t know but may change his life. There are three important themes in, The Giver: Perfection is not a goal worth striving for, there can be no pleasure without pain and no pain without pleasure, and family is not real if there is no love.

The first theme is, perfection is not a goal worth striving for. In order to create a perfect society, Jonas’s community sacrifices many things. They sacrifice individuality, emotions, memories, love, and family. Chapter 11 describes how weather and hills were taken away.n“But what happened to those things? Snow, and the rest of it?”“Climate control. Snow made growing food difficult, limited agricultural periods. And unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. It wasn’t a practical thing, so it became obsolete when we went to Sameness. “And hills, too” he added. “They made conveyance of good unwieldy. Trucks; buses. Slowed them down. So—” he waved his hand, as if a gesture had caused hills to disappear. “Sameness,” he concluded.Jonas frowned. “I wish we had those things, still. Just now and then.”

As a result, perfection requires sacrifices, but sometimes you don’t need perfection, you are good with what you have. What you already have will probably be best for you. Another theme can be, there can be no pleasure without pain and no pain without pleasure. After meeting with the giver several times, he reflects that his family members do not truly know what anger or sadness is.

“I felt sad today,” he had heard his mother say, and they had comforted her. But now Jonas had experienced real sadness.(165-166)The Giver had given Jonas memories of pain and sadness. His family members didn’t know what they actually were. They were deep feelings and they couldn’t be told, they had to be felt. To summarize, there are many feelings Jonas had felt, they included pain, joy, and sadness. His parents had not experienced the real feelings, they couldn’t.

The last theme is, family is not real if there is no love. Jonas asks his parents if they love him. “Do you love me?” There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then, father gave a little chuckle. “ Jonas. You, of all people precision of language, please!” (159)

If that family was real; then, Jonas’s parents would havesaid that they do love him. Jonas loves Gabe and is willing to give up his life for Gabe’s. No one in the community felt love, besides, Jonas and the Giver. Therefore, Jonas and Gabe are family. They love each other and that proves that it’s real.

The most important themes in The Giver are: Perfection a goal worth striving for, there can be no pleasure without pain and no pain without pleasure, and family is not real if there is no love. This book gives us a way to think about a world with no color, emotions, family, and love. It’s so powerful because while reading this book, we are reminded how lucky we are to live in this world. I loved this book, and I would rate it a 10/10! I enjoyed reading it and loved the suspense. I would recommend this to people of all ages but I can guarantee that you won’t be putting the book down without thinking or looking at the world in a totally different way.

Works Cited

1. Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1993.