1) Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Sameness in Jonas’s community?
I do believe that having Sameness in the community would bring advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages: The existing of the principle of Sameness in the community does not permit people to feel jealousy towards the others. There is no such thing as rich and poor because the houses are equal; the clothes used are designed to have one single style that every one will use. The weather is not to hot or to cold therefore the citizens will not feel burned from the sun or feel cold from the snow. Nevertheless, in this type of weather the farms would be able to grow crops during all year.
Disadvantages: The term Sameness in the community brought some short comings affecting the present members. The existence of Sameness in the community would affect the way citizens would perceive the world. Also, the memories about the past were kept from the community and that affected the way they were able to deal with their emotions. That was the main reason why they needed a Receiver. The members of the community did not have free will therefore they could not choose their own actions and jobs, etc. Something that was important and they also did not posses was the opportunity to see the different colors and hear music or sounds. The use of the weather control meant that citizens would not be aware of heat or cold and will not realize the cautions required in each of the different types of weather.
2) Compare the relationship Jonas has with the Giver to the relationship he has with his mother, father, and sister?
The relationship between the Giver and Jonas has a deeper meaning. Their relationship is based in love because of the memories they both have to share. There is a close relationship between both of them without the need for the control and the rules that shape each of the community relationships. The Giver and Jonas also understand the difficulties and emotions of each other since they are passing through the same experiences.
The relationship between Jonas and his family is based in the respect for each other. The rules of the community shape that relationship and there is not real trust in each other because they live of life of lies. There is no real love and kindness because in the reality they are not a nuclear family but in fact they are a family composed of members that have been assigned to that specific family group.
3) Discuss weather Jonas’s assignment as the next Receiver of Memory is an honor or a punishment?
Jonas assignment is considered an honor by the community. Jonas was assigned the most important job in the community and he has the possibility (to see outside the box) to understand the outside world better. But even the community understands that being the receiver is also somehow a curse. Being the Receiver he has privileged knowledge about more things than the other community members and has access to everything and everybody needs him.
But being the Receiver is also some type of punishment. He has to bear the memory of pain, sorrow, sadness, etc. He comes to have emotions due to the memories he receives and he craves to share those memories and emotions with his friends but he cannot. He spends most of his time alone. He cannot apply for medical support despite the pain the memories transmit to him. And one of the rules he has to abide is that he may not apply for release notwithstanding all the pain and sorrow that memories bring upon him.
