#7 - Photo Montage
1. The Pill
This simple picture above shows a pill. Though its only a pill, it has a rather large significance in The Giver. It all started with the usual dream-telling in the morning. That morning, Jonas shared about his unusual dream, which was him wanting Fiona to take her clothes of and bathe with her. Upon hearing this, Jonas's parents knew that Jonas had his first Stirrings, which was actually sexual desire. To curb this, one had to take a special pill everyday, throughout his whole life, even until he becomes old. In the community, taking this pill everyday is compulsory, ensuring that nobody in the Community has sexual desires.
This brings out the point of dilution of feelings in the Community. Going through puberty and having sexual desires is so natural in our world. Yet, in this controlled society, this natural feeling is curbed by an unnatural way.
2. The Red Sled
The sled symbolises the journey Jonas takes during his training and the discoveries he makes. It is red, a vibrant colour that symbolises the entirely new world of memories and feelings that Jonas discovers. The sled appears four times in the novel. First, before he transmits the memory, the Giver compares the difficulty he has in carrying the memories to sliding downhill in the snow: at first it’s all excitement and exhilaration, but like life, the ride will slow down as snow builds up on the runners, getting increasingly harder to push.
Next, the Giver then transmits Jonas the memory of a sled ride down a snow-covered hill. The downhill ride is exhilarating and delightful, and Jonas enjoys the ride in the same way that he enjoys accumulating new memories.
However, the sled can be treacherous too. The first memory of real pain that Jonas experiences involves the sled. The sled gets out of control and crashes, causing him to break his leg. Jonas learns that life is a balance of pleasure and pain.
At the end of the novel, Jonas and Gabriel finds a real sled at the top of a hill. They board the sled and ride it down the hill towards Elsewhere. This symbolises Jonas' and Gabriel's entry into a world where colour, emotions, and diversity exist in reality, and not just in memory.
3. Rainbow
This picture shows a rainbow, which was a memory the Giver transmitted to Jonas after a long talk about Jonas' ability to see beyond. This colourful memory had a great impact on Jonas' life. Since then, life became more colourful and vibrant, completely the opposite when colour did not exist in the Community. This causes Jonas to fall in love with colours.
4. A syringe
This picture shows a doctor holding a syringe, ready to inject a person.
This links us to a scene in The Giver, when Jonas watches a video of his father was preparing to release a newchild, by injecting the lighter of the twins with a deadly solution. Jonas' father did not know that he was actually killing a baby, and depriving the newchild of life. Thus, Jonas' father was not guilty or sad for the newchild at all. This serious act caused Jonas a sense of utter frustration, that everybody in the community was so unfeeling and cruel. This also made a turning point for him. He felt that he could not live in this heartless community anymore.
The syringe is significant as it caused Jonas to know what it actually means to be 'released'. The word 'released' actually means death. However, throughout the book, this term has different meanings, to different people. At the beginning of the novel, most of the characters truly believe that people who are released are physically sent to Elsewhere, the world beyond the limits of the community. Later, when Jonas discovers the real meaning of release, the word becomes ominous. At the end of the novel, however, when Jonas escapes from the Community, he changes the meaning of the word once again, restoring its original meaning: an escape from this cruel and emotionless community.
I am so thankful that I am not living in a controlled world like Jonas'!
5. The apple
The apple has a large significance in The Giver. The apple symbolises Jonas' ability to 'see beyond'. His perception of colour is what sets him apart from the rest of the people in the Community. This is also why Jonas was chosen as the "Receiver of Memory".
In the book, this symbol first appears when Jonas and Asher were tossing an apple to each other. While the apple was in mid-air, Jonas notices that the apple had changed in a indescribable way. This was because he was beginning to 'see red'. However, at that time, Jonas did not know about his ability yet.
When I was reading The Giver, I too was wondering what the 'change' actually is. It created suspense in the book. However, as I continued to read the book, I understood what it actually meant.
6. Pale eyes
In The Giver, pale eyes is symbolic.
As most people living in the Community have dark eyes, pale eyes symbolises the importance of an individual. In the community, everyone has dark eyes except for Jonas, the Giver, a female Six and Gabriel. This feature is what sets Jonas apart from the rest of the people. Pale eyes represents the ability to "see-beyond".
Also, pale eyes signified 'depth', "as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet." Jonas is a very 'deep' person who always reflects and always thinks further. This too, is what sets him apart from others.
I think that having pale eyes gives you the ability to "see beyond". This is because both Jonas and The Giver have pale eyes. In addition, having pale eyes also allows you to be able to receive and transmit memories. This can be seen when Jonas transmit calming memories to Gabriel, who has pale eyes. However, when Jonas tries to transmit a memory of elephants to Lily, he could not do so.
7. The newchild Gabriel
The newchild Gabriel is brought to Jonas' dwelling for extra nurturing by Jonas' father, as he is unable to sleep well at night at the Nurturing Centre. He ends up sleeping in Jonas' room. This was the start of Jonas' special relationship with Gabriel. Jonas transmits soothing memories to Gabriel so Gabriel will have a good night's rest.
In the end, Jonas takes Gabriel with him to Elsewhere. This is symbolic too. It symbolises Jonas' resolution to change the Community and to start a new life with Gabriel.
In the book, the newchild Gabriel is a symbol of hope and a new beginning. Often, babies are a symbol of hope and regeneration. In The Giver, this makes sense. Gabriel is pure and innocent, and is too young to be able to absorb the many customs and rules of this controlled society. Thus, he can receive meories that Jonas transmits to him.
8. The River
The river, which runs into the community and out of it to Elsewhere, symbolizes escape from the confines of the community. It is like a barrier or a gate that prevents the people of the Community to escape. This is seen from when "Jonas [had] reached the opposite side of the river, stopped briefly and looked back. The community where his entire life had been lived lay behind him now, sleeping."
When little Caleb drowns in the river, it is one of the few events that the community cannot predict or control, and Jonas and the Giver are inspired to try to change the community by the idea of the river’s unpredictable behavior. Thus, the river is significant in the book.
9. Sunshine
One of the many memories which Jonas received was sunshine. When Jonas was experiencing sunshine, "Jonas notices that this time, the air, instead of being cold, is hot. Outdoors somewhere, he is comfortable and relaxed." Next, the Giver transmits another memory to Jonas. After being given the memory, Jonas learns from the man that the pain he felt was "sunburn."
Sadly, sunshine was removed from the Community just like snow. This is because of Climate Control. However, I felt happy for Jonas as he could experience a lot of things which the rest of the people did not know of.
10. Love
These pictures depicts The Giver's favourite memory, which is the memory of a Christmas celebration as a complete family, with grandparents. The air was filled with warmth and love.
After Jonas recieves this special memory, he experiences the warmth of having a family with grandparents too. He also feels many other strong emotions like joy and happiness and a sense of being complete. He then learns about the meaning of "Love". The meaning of "Love" is a foreign to Jonas. In fact, he has not even used the word before.
This memory is significant in The Giver. When Jonas got back to his dwelling, he asks his parents if they love him. Howver, they lectured him about the precision of language. They explained to him that the word "Love" is so general until it has become obsolete. However, Jonas' thoughts and views about "Love" are completely different from what his parents had explained to him. He realises that the emotions experienced in this society were all shallow, unlike the real world.
This makes me feel very sad for Jonas and the people living in the Community. In the Community, would live with the Childless Adults when their children grew up. Then, they would move to the House of Old. Their children would be too busy with their own life that he would forget about his parents. In our present world, no matter how hectic our lifestyles are, we would never forget our parents and grandparents. Also, we can celebrate Christmas together.This picture depicts The Giver's favourite memory, which is the memory of a Christmas celebration as a complete family, with grandparents. The air was filled with warmth and love.
After Jonas recieves this special memory, he experiences the warmth of having a family with grandparents too. He also feels many other strong emotions like joy and happiness and a sense of being complete. He then learns about the meaning of "Love". The meaning of "Love" is a foreign to Jonas. In fact, he has not even used the word before.
This memory is significant in The Giver. When Jonas got back to his dwelling, he asks his parents if they love him. Howver, they lectured him about the precision of language. They explained to him that the word "Love" is so general until it has become obsolete. However, Jonas' thoughts and views about "Love" are completely different from what his parents had explained to him. He realises that the emotions experienced in this society were all shallow, unlike the real world.
This makes me feel very sad for Jonas and the people living in the Community. In the Community, would live with the Childless Adults when their children grew up. Then, they would move to the House of Old. Their children would be too busy with their own life that he would forget about his parents. In our present world, no matter how hectic our lifestyles are, we would never forget our parents and grandparents. Also, we can celebrate Christmas together.
