The Giver Group

Question:

noha19
noha19
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Why are children volunteering hours important in The Giver?

Support or refute this statement:  It is unbelievable that anyone could live in the community not knowing how people are released.

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Posted by noha19 on Tuesday October 27, 2009 at 3:38 PM and tagged with characters, community, release, society, the giver, volunteering.

Answers:

  1. slchanmo1885
    slchanmo1885 Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The volunteerism is a way for the children to begin to explore the options that are out there for a placement, and even more so, a way for the leaders of the community to see where the children's aptitudes lie. If a child seems to do well caring for the elderly, then they will probably be given the placement of caregiver. 

     

    As for the second part of the question, I would say that is was believable that people would live in the community and remain ignorant of what release really meant. Jonas pictures it as a sort of quiet, happy occasion where the person just "goes away" to "elsewhere." People just accept that release happens, and even the people who perform the release ceremony believe that they are just doing what is necessary and normal practice. After all, it is upsetting and shocking when someone dies before their "time" -- such as when young Caleb died. The people in Jonas' community are accepting of release and are not shocked by it, because it is the norm, and it appears to be gentle and pain-free. 

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    Posted by slchanmo1885 on Thursday November 26, 2009 at 4:48 PM