Lois Lowry’s novel, The Giver, is an exemplary story that leaves readers contemplating how they would relate with the characters in a practical setting. Lowry creates and builds his characters through encounters that readers find easy to relate to. I developed a strong attachment to Jonas from the first encounter when Lowry introduced him as a brave boy who would seldom fear anything. Given a chance to choose a friend among the characters, I would go for Jonas because of his impressive concern for society. I share several traits with Jonas, which could help us easily get along.
I seldom hesitate to express my frustrations with social ills and injustices, which is an important shared attribute with Jonas, much as he appeared unconcerned at first. His perceived view of the world is informed by the nature of his society and family. He has to cope with a community life defined by strict rules, precise language, and the authority’s use of loudspeakers to exercise power over the people (Lowry, 1993). As a child, Jonas can only adapt to his society’s way of life, despite his awareness that it was founded on hypocrisy. He learns from an early age that people have given up their freedom and individuality, a revelation that subjects him to inner conflict as he comes of age.
Having a friend with an interest in social welfare could have made it easier to push for necessary changes. Unfortunately, finding a perfect match to work with is seldom guaranteed. Jonas feels frustrated that people are reluctant and unresponsive to his desperate call for change from sameness (Lowry, 1993). As a result, he opts to flee with the little Gabriel after realizing that his people would never give up sameness, a decision that required great courage and boldness.
In overview, I would have wished to befriend Jonas and help him strategize on how to approach the issue of social change in a better and more efficient way. For instance, cooperation with supportive people would be a major milestone in the right direction. Indisputably, Jonas would not have given up or fled from the community if he had a like-minded person by his side.
Reference
Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. Houghton Mifflin.