The Giver and Dystopia

The Giver as a movie and as a story had made me completely redefine my definition of dystopia. In the movie The Giver, a boy named Jonas lives in a society were everything is dull and peoples emotions and personalities are almost robotic. This society is controlled by Elders and these Elders control every aspect of the citizens lives how they think, feel, what career they have and allow for now individuality which in turn makes everyone in this society somewhat the same just with different names and genetics. Now one of the Elders is a man known as The Giver. The Giver can transport memories, emotions, and even color to a persons life in the movie. I believe color in the movie symbolizes seeing life as less dull and more interesting and exciting. Eventually Jonas is deemed worthy enough to be the next Giver. As he works with the Giver he starts to see more to life, build a unique personality, feel emotion good or bad and starts to see the color in life. At the end of the movie, Jonas leaves the assumed society and escapes to a house miles and miles away from the town where he grew up. Jonas also takes his baby brother with him because his baby brother might have also been subjected harm if he stayed.

The Giver embodies dystopia and a hopeful utopia at the same time. For the elders in the town, they might have considered it a utopia because everyone is obedient, not too flashy, and they have complete control over the citizens in order to stop a rebellion. But for the citizens they are under the illusion of happiness. They are not aware of individuality, individual rights, freedoms, and emotion which subject them to a boring nonfulfilling life. Jonas embodies the citizens potential freedom and the baby represents the future generations who might get the chance to experience less dystopian societies as well as individual rights and freedoms.

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