Reading Response: The Giver

 The book "The Giver" takes on some important issues in coming of age. In a world that is so perfect that, that itself makes it imperfect. Imperfections are what make the world perfect in its own way. For a teen to be growing up and coming of age with a ceremony, this being the most important of all, it is very difficult for a child coming of age to find themselves in a world that is perfect. Finding oneself is very important and an essential part of what is the entire idea of "coming of age". For Jonas, the main character, it must be very difficult for him to find himself in a community that has already defined his entire life.

The community decides everything for him. His clothes were picked for him, his entire life was set in a certain way. But, as life would have it, Jonas meets his mentor and teacher figure, The Giver. The Giver teaches him about how life really is. For Jonas, this was a very big realization. He now has all the knowledge to finally discover himself.

As I think about it I second guess myself. Sometimes, you actually DO need someone telling you what to do. You need someone to guide you and teach you how to actually live your life instead of just pushing you out into the open world without you having the knowledge you need to live. You need someone to give you the tools and knowledge to go and live your life. In some cases, if you are pushed out into the world without the proper tools and knowledge you are pretty much lost. In the community where Jonas lives, they do, in a way, give them what they need to figure out their world but only to some extent. And they DO teach them, but for what? Because in the community that Jonas lives, they teach them only what they need to know in order to survive in a community where they are supposed to be submissive and obey all orders given out through a loud speaker.

It is natural for a human being to rebel against their superiors but the thing is, that after a while, all we want to do is test out limits. Its only natural. Testing our limits is part of what being human is like. In the community, the people who live there are not permitted to do something out of line, or something that is not written in the rules. The rules are everything to them. They follow it to every last detail which makes them in a way, submissive and not even human like. Sometimes, to fund out who you are, you need to break some rules. Breaking rules is what life is sometimes all about.

What is Rebellion?

 Rebellion with a cause is important for the development of young adults. We need to learn to challenge ideas and test our limits. Rebellion is important is important because it is an example of us trying to take responsibility for ourselves. We need to rebel. But please, keep in mind, not all rebelling is good. You need to rebel for a legit cause. Something that you truly believe in. Something that in your eyes is right. If we don't, in some sense, we are always going to be under our superior's thumb our entire life. By not rebelling, we are showing (in the words of Mercutio) "calm, dishonorable, vile submission". Submission is not good if you want to be some one. If you want the world to hear your voice and see you as a person. It's a step we need to take.

 I guess, in way, people that are against rebellion are willing to forever let their superior's make decisions or choices for them. Letting people make choices for you is OK t an extent. But, after a while, you need to take over. Because, what happens if someday, no one is there to make choices for you? What them?

Rebellion is something that even the sane minded do..

Beanie Dog

As a 6 year old, I would often as my dad "Daddy, do you think God would let me take him to heaven with me?" My dad would simply answer, "I don't know. You should ask him yourself." That would mean, that 90% of my night time prayer would go to asking over and over again for my beanie dog (the other 10% was asking for more cartoons during the week).

My hands would wrap around him so tightly I could feel the little beanie beans on the inside rub against each other underneath the cloth surface stitched to look like a dog.
He was the most important thing to me. Everywhere I went he was there with me. That dog has seen almost and nearly everything. He's seen me eat my first asparagus, loose my first tooth in Kinder garden, fall and scrape my knee, and was riding shotgun in my bicycle basket for my first time without my trusty training wheels.

That dog was everything to me as a little girl. A friend, a companion, a confider. Everything that is, except a toy. For me he was and still is real.

His sown ears covered his dark brown eyes. His fur would glisten in the afternoon sun as I would play outside with chalk. His white little feet were ever so small and dirty, for wherever we would go there was bound to be and amount of dirt.

Now his small white feet are no longer dirty. His fur is no longer full of glossy strands of golden brown. His fur has gradually faded away with age. His feet are white. We no longer travel the rough terrains of the neighborhood and all over the world. He is now highly perched on a shelf with pride. It is an alter on which he rightfully sits.

He was very big part of my childhood. Everything to me. A big part of me is reflected through his small eyes. Visions of the past. Of what once was and what memories were ours to keep.
I love that old sad raggedy dog. Part of me floats inside the little beans. Memories I wish to never forget. Ever.