I know Kellee read this book a while ago, and Alli told me that her book group was reading this book for January, so I read it, too. I don't have a book group to discuss it with, so I get to discuss it with myself here on my blog. What an interesting read. It was very simple and quick, but very thought-provoking. Some parts that struck me:
When Jonas first started receiving the memories his first reaction was anger. For the good of the community he had to suffer pain so that others wouldn't. That would have been noble and honorable, but he didn't choose to do that, he was forced to which made it wrong. His initial reaction was that everyone should have the knowledge being given to him, but then the Giver helped him see why the community had chosen this way -- it was safer to have no choices. If there were choices someone might choose wrongly. It could be dangerous. That's true but twisted. Isn't that how Satan often works? He takes a truth and twists it into something ugly in order to deceive.
I was surprised at my reaction to the story when I realized the people couldn't see color. At that point, their way of life became miserable to me. That was the clencher when I knew Jonas could never live out his life as a Receiver and allow this kind of life perpetuate to future generations. I couldn't wait to read how he would overcome the way things had been for so long. Then I thought that a lot of times heaven is thought of as pure white with maybe a little gold in the streets. Would that really be heaven? Would the Great Creator who can paint a different sunset every night really surround Himself with just white? I know white is a symbol of purity and holiness and cleanliness, but I think the beautiful vibrant colors of the world would have to be part of a heavenly life, too. A completely insignificant thought and I'll just have to wait to see for myself what heaven looks like, but I am looking forward to seeing what kind of colors there are in our heavenly mansions.
There is a verse in the Book of Mormon that mentions the need for opposition in all things, and I think this book did a good job of describing what would happen if there wasn't opposition. We truly do have to experience the sorrow to understand the joy, the sickness to appreciate the health, and so on. I felt sorry for the people who couldn't comprehend emotions. Jonas' father was probably the saddest case for me. That his emotions and choices could have been eliminated so much that he had no understanding or remorse when he gave a lethal injection to the twin. That was gut-wrenching. I kept hoping that someone really would walk in the door from Elsewhere.
It was also interesting that love was considered risky. Because there is a chance for pain if there is love, it was eliminated from their lives. But then, they didn't know what they were missing, so it wasn't a bad life for them. Only because I know how powerful love is do I feel sad for them for missing out on it.
The idea of Elsewhere intrigued me. Doesn't the adversary try to teach in our world today that there is no heaven or hell? But life doesn't make sense without something more than what we see here. That was even true in the book with a Community that provided a perfect life. Still the question came, where do people go after they have lived a full life and are released Elsewhere? Even when Jonas learned that being released from the community meant getting a lethal injection, he and the Giver still believed that there really was an Elsewhere beyond the Community. That was what gave them hope. That was the only way Jonas made it up the mountain at the end of the book. It was the hope of joy that could be found Elsewhere that got him to the summit. I think that is true for us as well. It is the hope of a better life to come that often gets us through hard times and gives us meaning in our lives.
I also considered what is different about the Community in the book and what eternal life will be like. There can be no sin where God is, so everyone will be following the rules, but I think the difference is knowledge. The people in the book were polite, had all things in common, lived their Utopia lifestyle because that was the rule. There was no knowledge of any other way. Knowledge is power. I think people in heaven will live righteously because they want to, not because they have to. They have overcome evil rather than simply having wrong choices removed from their path. I think God wants to give us knowledge rather than take it away from us.
Wow, I just wrote a lot. Anyway, I enjoyed it and would recommend this one as a good read.
