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Can you provide an example of a rule that was broken in The Giver?
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In Jonas's community, a prevalent rule-breaking involves children under nine secretly riding bicycles, despite the rule forbidding it until the age of nine. This is overlooked because children want to ride home post-ceremony. Additionally, Jonas breaks major rules when he leaves at night, steals food, and takes his father's bicycle to escape with Gabriel, actions that could lead to his "release," a severe punishment in their society.
Jonas grows up in a very structured, safe community, which was created so that citizens did not have to experience pain and suffering. Consequently, there are many rules throughout Jonas's society that citizens obey on an everyday basis. Of these many rules, the narrator mentions that one rule, in particular, is continually broken by nearly all children throughout the community. In Jonas's society, children receive their bicycles at the ceremony when they turn nine years old. There is a rule that forbids children younger than nine years old to ride bicycles. However, nearly all children secretly practice riding their older sibling's bikes before they turn nine. The reason being, that after the ceremony, the nine-year-old children want to ride their bikes home. Despite it being against the rules, the community does not regulate the children who teach their younger siblings to ride bikes very closely.
In the community of
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In the community ofThe Giver, anyone who commits three transgressions is released.
Jonas’s mother, who works for the Department of Justice, explains what happens if you break a rule three times.
"You know that there's no third chance. The rules say that if there's a third transgression, he simply has to be released." (ch 1, p. 9)
Like everyone else, Jonas occasionally breaks minor rules. He brings an apple home when it changes, wondering what happened to it. He is anonymously but publically reprimanded.
When Jonas escapes, he breaks three major rules. These three rules alone could get him Released.
First, he had left the dwelling at night. A major transgression. Second, he had robbed the community of food: a very serious crime, even though what he had taken was leftovers... Third, he had stolen his father's bicycle. (ch 21, pp. 165-166).
Jonas knows that taking Gabriel is also a serious crime. He is worried about getting caught because Gabe was scheduled to be killed, and both of them would be killed if they are caught.
In Jonas’s world, there is no compassion. They kill people for minor offenses, just to prevent anyone from being uncomfortable. Everyone gets along, and everything is perfect. There is a darker side to this perfect world.
Lowry, Lois (1993-04-26). The Giver (Newbery Medal Book) (p. 9). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition.