Final Essay
The Giver
ENG B/C
Due: December 11, 2013
Hard Copy in Class
4+ Pages
While reading The Giver , it is easy to realize that one of the main concerns of Jonas’
community is the idea of “sameness” as a way to guarantee fairness and safety. At the same
time, it seems that the community gave up their freedom and individuality to live in a
protected and utopian environment away from suffering and pain. However, as Jonas
entered the world of receiving memories, he started to question the validity of living in a
utopian society and the supposed equality behind the community’s actions.
Instructions for Writing the Essay:
Part I- Argumentative Essay
In a well-organized paper, write an argumentative essay in which you evaluate Jonas’
community and their idea of “sameness.” That is, you need to take a position where you
establish whether the community was really fair or not, and list some arguments to support
your position, and provide specific evidence from the book to further prove your point. In
order to brainstorm ideas for your paper
ü Your thesis statement must reflect a clear position, and it should not include
personal opinion such as “I think,” “In my opinion,” “my position is…” etc.
ü Note that each argument you list must be developed into one body paragraph, and
you must use quotes and paraphrased examples from the book as your supporting
evidence.
ü Your conclusion must restate your main ideas/arguments, but most importantly
your thesis statement to reaffirm your position.
Part II- A New Ending – Chapter 24
After reading The Giver , you will notice how Lois Lowry (the author) somehow left an
open ending, so it would be the reader’s job to image what happened to Jonas and the
community. In a way, this kind of ending could be quite disappointing for some readers,
but at the same time, it gives the readers the opportunity to make sense of Jonas’ decision
and the community’s fate.
ü Pretend you were asked to write Chapter 24 where you are supposed to give a close
end to the book. Based on your experiences reading the book, your expectations,
and your own understanding of the community and Jonas’ position, write a well-
organized, coherent ending for the book. In this section, you are highly encouraged
to be creative. You can certainly create dialogues between the characters, and
narrate the ending using your own writing style, and most importantly your
imagination.