The Giver Review

What would you be willing to give up for ease and contentment? Would you give up your freedom, your individuality, your choice to make your own decisions? In The Giver, the people of the Community weren't able to make this decision for themselves. Instead, their government made this decision for them many centuries before. They knew nothing of the freedoms of their ancestors, therefore they didn't know what their lives could be like. But, having lived like this their entire lives, they didn't want to know about the past. They were taught that only one person, The Receiver, was to know the secrets of the past. Every aspect of their lives were controlled. They made no decisions of their own. Their jobs and even their "family units" are decided for them. For Jonas, the job that he is assigned changes his way of life and makes him second guess everything he thought he knew.

Every year, the kids who are 12 years old are given their assigned jobs at the Ceremony of Twelve. At this time, the kids are told what field they are going into and then become apprentices. Most jobs are occupations such as Director of Recreation or Birthmother, jobs that benefit the Community in some way. But when the Chief Elder skipped Jonas's number, he knew something was wrong. At the end of the ceremony, when all the other Twelves had recieved their new Assignments, Jonas was called up and was assigned the prestigious, honorable job of becoming the new Receiver of Memory. Because he was given this job, he was set apart from the other children. He was not to tell anyone of his training, for it was written in the rules. What shocked him the most was that he did not have to follow the Community's very strict set of rules any longer. He was permitted to say "offending" things to other people and was not expected to apologize for it. His set of rules given to him at the Ceremony of Twelve were simple. There was no instruction manual telling him how to prepare for his job. He recieved a single sheet of paper with 8 little rules on it.

Upon meeting the current Receiver of Memory, Jonas learns what the ability of "seeing beyond" really is. Throughout the following days and weeks, he begins to aquire the knowledge of what the past was like. He starts to unearth many different qualities of life that have been lost to people of his time. He begins to see color, he feels emotions that he's never felt before. And just when he starts to feel all of these amazing feelings, the Giver starts transferring memories of pain, suffering, starvation, and war. Not only does he learn of the misery of the past, but he is shown that his own community is not as perfect as it seems. With the knowledge that he has acquired, Jonas must now make a crucial decision that could effect everyone around him. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping story that keeps you interested throughout the entire thing, wondering what's going to happen on the next page.

Cross-Examination

DA: Miss Covington, are you aware that your closet has been inspected by some of our most prestigious investigators?

MC: Yes sir, I am.

DA: Are you also aware that you are a pack rat?

MC: I, uh, well..

DA: Did you know that not only can your closet floor not be seen because of your excessive shoe inventory, but that your entire closet rack is filled with clothes? The entire thing?

MC: Well.. I can explain..

DA: No time for silly explanations made up off of the top of your head, Miss Covington. We have more important matters to attend to. How do you explain the five pairs of flip flops resting in your closet right now?

MC: I, uh, needed a variety!

DA: Unacceptable. And the 2 pairs of Birkenstocks? How long have those been out of style? And why on earth do you have two pairs?

MC: I, uhm, don't wear those anymore..

DA: Then why, Miss Covington, are they still in your closet cluttering up your floor? How do you explain that?

MC: I'm.. Saving them for my sister! Yeah! She'll be able to wear them soon and she loves to wear my shoes!

DA: Bringing your 7-year-old sister in this debate are you?

MC: Its true!

DA: Yeah, yeah. Save it. So enough with your shoe collection. How do you explain having 3 pairs of shorts that look almost exactly the same? Three pairs! What possible use do you have for 3 pairs that look exactly alike?!

MC: I thought they were cute.. And the, uh, laundry takes a while..

DA: So you buy 3 pairs of the exact same shorts so you can wear them while the others are being washed?

MC: Yes sir.

DA: Hmm.. Interesting. And your tank top collection? How do you explain having over 10 tank tops cluttering your closet?

MC: I like to have different colors.. And they're great for summer weather..

DA: Lets see.. This report says that they're all different sizes, Miss Covington. You have 8 mediums, 3 smalls, and.. What's this? An extra small?! Why on earth do you have an extra small Miss Covington?!

MC: I wear different sizes in different brands! Its a different brand than all the others!

DA: You need to clean up your act, Miss Covington, along with your closet.

Red Wheelbarrow Poem

Sought after

by those who chase and thirst

for affection, Wanted by every

soul on the face of this earth, Needed

in every corner of the planet, Lacking in

places where it is well deserved. Some

just wish for it, some make their own luck and

chase after it themselves. And then there's

those few who wait for it to come close

to them, yet when it is right there

in their reach, they let it free.

What might this strong

emotion be, you

may ask?

Love.

Cause for Celebration

This past week, BHS drama performed The Sound of Music, a play about staying true to oneself and not selling out your beliefs. As a cast member, I've experienced first-hand how hard these dedicated actors and actresses worked to make this play a success. They have dedicated their mornings and afternoons to practicing songs and going over lines they know by heart. Getting home late in the evenings and giving up precious studying hours (as if) was but a small sacrifice to these dedicated few people. After working months and months on songs and lines they know by heart, they finally got to show the world how hard they've worked. I am very proud to say that the play was a huge success. Every audience member I've talked to has told me that they absolutely loved it. Even my grandpa, who sleeps through nearly anything, stayed awake through the entire play! And that's saying something! But regardless of what the audience thought, the performers involved were satisfied in knowing that they acted and presented their hard work in the best way possible. What a cause for celebration!

Mask Poem

I Wear the Mask

I wear a mask for everyone to see,

No one would like to see the real me.

I paint on a face that's happy and smiles,

And heap on laughter in great big piles.

But deep down inside is the monster I hide,

The one who cheated and hated and lied.

The one who turns red with anger and green with jealousy,

Deep down inside, that's the real me.