Allegory Of The Giver By Lois Lowry - 1436 Words

Throughout our first few weeks of class we’ve gone through the ideas of many different thinkers and philosophers. Upon further reflection, I would like to touch base more on the Plato’s themes from the Republic, Book X and The Allegory of The Cave in relation to the Lois Lowry’s The Giver. What I would like to be kept in mind while making our comparison, is my previous commentary on the Allegory of the Cave from prior class discussions on Plato, The Allegory of the Cave shows us to not just stare at the known shadows and be satisfied with it, but to look beyond it to find the truth and real understanding. And Plato’s ideas in regards to art as discussed in the Republic, Book X. To be more specific a quote from David H†¦show more content†¦In Jonas’ community it is considered â€Å"High honor† to be a Receiver (One who holds memories). They advise the Committee of Elders in important decisions because with the memories comes kn owledge and wisdom. (Lowry, ) Similarly discussed on Module 1 notes, how art is fine for â€Å"educational purposes† (Nyman, ) so is memory. The Receiver also serves the secondary purpose of holding the world’s memories which includes knowledge of pain, suffering, and all basic comprehension of qualities that make us human so the citizens may not burden themselves. This relates back to how art could â€Å"corrupt citizens and guardians alike† (Richter, ). Memory like art needs to be controlled for the sake of â€Å"Sameness† or â€Å"Order†. This lack of wisdom is what forms the blissful, unaware existence that the citizens lead just as the prisoners in Plato’s Allegory of The Cave. They cave being created from lack of wisdom that comes with Memory. The citizens lack knowledge of the meaning behind deeper feelings, animals, color, death, and to certain degrees the concept of right or wrong. They only know what the community wants them to know and they fall in line with precision because that’s how it’s been done that way for generations or as the novel says, â€Å"Back and back and back† (Lowry, ). The people are so conditioned they are equivalent to the chained prisoners staring at the shadows on a wall. Chained by generations of ignorance brought upon to keep â€Å"Sameness† neverShow MoreRelatedOver Many Years, Lois LowryS Novels Have Been Analyzed1548 Words   |  7 PagesOver many years, Lois Lowry s novels have been analyzed by many. Lowry is known for grasping measures of so cial control and taking them a step further. While some, such as Lucas Kavner (2012) and Carter F. Hanson (2009) declare their acclamation for her out of the box writing technique, scholars and Utopian studies, such as Lyman Tower Sargent (1988), Tom Moylan (2014), and Fredric Jameson (1998), place emphasis on the contradiction that dystopia has on nature. One could only dream of a world withoutRead MoreThe Giver, By Lois Lowry1628 Words   |  7 Pagessun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain t goin away.† Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave relates to this quote by focusing on the truths of reality that humans do not comprehend. We think that we understand what we are seeing in our world, but we really just perceive shadows of the true forms of the things that make up the world. We are ignorant about the true nature of reality. The novel, The Giver, by Lois Lowry also involves these concepts. The main character, Jonas, lives in a communityRead More Theme of Power Corruption in Animal Farm, by George Orwell Essay1787 Words   |  8 PagesPower can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said â€Å"Power tends to corrup t and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is aRead MoreBook Review of The Chrysalids Essays2947 Words   |  12 Pagesthe destruction or banishment of deviations from Gods own image. The moral is that stupidity breeds in high quantities and that those who fear new things lash out agains them. If you liked this book, I would also recomend The Giver by Lois Lowry. It is somewhat along the same line, but without the religious overtones. Something that really intrigues me about this book is that no-one has written a sequel to it, whereas in fact, this is what the ending is crying out