Lives On The Boundary

The Giver

Jonas, an eleven year old boy , was very intellegent and outstanding. In fact he surpassed the other kid's intelligence. He grew up with her sister Lily and a special visitor named Gabriel very well educated by his parents . He was almost a perfect son, he was friendly and good hearted. In fact he fell in love with a girl named Fiona.. He learned very quickly all about his community, a community where all the people lived happy and peaceful lives. Jonas life was perfect, even the community were he was living seemed to be perfect. But one day when he became twelve, according to the community rules, it was time to receive his life's assignment just like all the other kids that became twelve. Jonas was given a special assignment. To his astonishment he was given the most respected job of all. The assignment designated for Jonas was called "The Receiver". Jonas, being the Receiver, was obligated to receive all the memories from the actual Giver and past Givers whether they were nice or horrible. He learned many things about the past that no one else knew.

At first Jonas was living peacefully in his community. He used to do all the things that a eleven year old kid does, like play, ride bicycles and go to school every day. There was no pain or fear or things to worry about. Jonas had many friends, some of his best friends were Asher and Fiona. They used to work voluntarily, helping and taking care of the old people. The elderly were lovingly cared for as were the newest members of that place. In that community every single person was given a certain job for which he or she was suited emotionally, physically and mentally at a certain age, in annual Ceremonies. Every family in this community had a mother, father, and two children, one of each sex. Jonas had two parents, a mother who was happily employed at the Department of Justice, and a father who was happily employed as a Nurturer. There was much laughter and obvious joy. There was no rudeness, no crime and no disease. When people did get hurt they took a pill and the pain went right away. No one ever broke bones or anything. There were no criminals, and there were no locks on any homes or buildings. The only bad thing about The Giver's community was Release. The community was controlled by a committee

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of older citizens from the community called the committee

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of elders. The committee

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told the community what to do and when to do it, using speakers that were installed all around the community. There was also one speaker in each house of the community, the society was ideal.

When Jonas turned twelve the committee

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of elders told him at the time of receiving the assignment that he was selected to be trained to become the \\\"Receiver of Memory\\\". The Receiver\\\'s job was to listen to their proposals and just tell them whether or not they should do it based on the lessons of history. The present Giver's job was to be giving the memories, all of them to Jonas. He did so through all of the senses. Jonas learns of war and hate, of snow and trees and colors all of which were not present in this society. He also learned of the horror all around him. However, they didn\\\'t want to make decisions or changes which, in the past, had led to disaster so they have assigned one person to keep all the memories of history, their own and that of all societies. As a Receiver Jonas was to able to do many things that citizens of the community were not allowed to do. Also, as a Receiver, Jonas learned amazing things some of them were horrible and painful for him, one of them was Release. When a person broke a major rule, was too old, or wasn't right as a baby they got released. Release was killing.

One day Jonas saw his Father nurturing a baby. He saw his father

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