Tuesday, May 21, 2013

In The Giver, what does Jonas dream about?

Jonas doesn't usually have dreams, especially not vivid ones. But one morning he reveals to his family that he had a dream the previous night about visiting the bathing room at the House of the Old, the place where older residents of the community live. In the dream he tried to convince his friend Fiona to take her clothes off and allow him to bathe her.
Jonas' mother recognizes that her son's experiencing his first Stirrings, that is to say, his sexual awakening. In most societies this would be regarded as a perfectly normal part of growing-up, but not in this one. Sexual stirrings among people of Jonas' age are not just frowned upon here, but actively suppressed. In fact, young people are urged by regular announcements over the loudspeaker system to report their Stirrings for treatment as soon as possible. As for Jonas, his treatment involves being given a pill by his mother. The pill works quickly, taking away the immense pleasure that Jonas derived from his dream.

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