1) Compare the relationship Jonas has with the Giver to the relationship he has with his mother, father, and sister.
Jonas has a very different relationship with his family than the one he has with the Giver. Jonas can tell the Giver anything like all the feelings he has. But, Jonas doesn't tell his parents anything because they don't know what he knows. He has a normal relationship with his sister, but he doesn't fight with her. He also never tells her anything either. I find it kind of weird that Jonas won't tell his parents anything because it's just not normal. What I find good, is that Jonas can ask the Giver questions and that the Giver can go through pain and love with Jonas. Jonas can also show emotion to the Giver, unlike when he goes home and hides everything.
2) Explain why feelings and stirrings have been eliminated from Jonas' community.
Feelings and memories have been eliminated from Jonas' community for a few reasons.
Feelings, or stirrings, have been eliminated because people in the community aren't allowed to chose who they fall in love with, or get married to, or have a baby with. The community organizes this for them. Also, people in the community can't have babies, because that's what birth mothers are for. So, if people have feelings, they might fall in love and make a baby. Memories are eliminated because the community is supposed to be perfect. This means that no one is supposed to know anything about the past, so they can't have books about the past or information about the past. If anyone ever knew about the past or the real world, then the community would be complete chaos.
3) Discuss similarities between our society and the society in your novel.
There are many similarities from our community and from Jonas' community. For example, our community and Jonas' community both have families, although ours are real because our parents chose to make a family, and who they want to have one with. In Jonas' community, the committee chooses it for them, so technically, they aren't real. They also have a government run by elders, like us. In our society, we have plenty of Home For the Old, and, so do they. We have many, many, many memories in our society, but even though they don't, they have a Receiver of Memory, which is someone who receives all the memories of the past. Many children in Jonas' community do volunteer hours, and just like them, we do charity work for a good cause. The most important similarity is that both societies have schools, which is very important for everyone. Like every kid, we have bikes, just like them. And, last but not least, both societies have rules and laws, which is very normal.
