Chapter 16

Dialogue between Jonas and me, his quiet friend from another world.

Me : Hey Jonas! What's up? You look so different from when I talked to you a few days ago. There is something in your face, what's new.

Jonas: Really?! Mhmm... I don't know. Maybe because I threw my pill away. But maybe you just see emotions, experience and memories for the first time on my face.

Me: You did WHAT? What about your community rules? How did all this happen?

Jonas: I know it's a big change in my life and that it has an effect on my character, but it felt so nice to learn about things like family, happiness, grandparents and...love. At the first time everything was strange and foolish. But now? I just feel a little more complete ... It's hard to be different and have secrets. But in a special,unusal way it makes me proud to have an own life and my own thoughts. Nobody can control my mind, too. This gives a feeling of safety. In spite of this it's a little bit lonely if suddenly nobody can understand you because you're knowing things, they don't know. Sometimes it's hard to take the load of so many secrets. It happens with my Assignment- with my selection. It's my job to be different,now.

Me: And...do you like it?

Jonas: Yes and No. Yes because all the feelings are interesting and refreshing. And an other reason is, that I have no longer this feeling...to wear a mask or to be caged. And a little bit "No" because I felt never before so much separate... And suddenly there is the feeling to show this big world of emotions to them. It's so sad that's a secret...and to tell you the truth: I don't really understand why... I wish I could part for example this indescribable feeling of "love"...
At the first time of my life I get the thought that something goes wrong here...

Me: Well... Your thoghts seem to be dangerous. Good luck. And : Watch out! It can be very hard if you know something, which is actually important for the whole community.

Jonas:  I thought about it... I will be careful. Good bye, my friend from elsewhere.

Chapter 10

Exercise for the test

How to write an analysis:

• Introductory sentence : Titel, author, kind of book, number of chapter, year of origin
• short summary
• main part : - Setting (time, place, milieu)                                                                                            
• characterisation (direct, indirect)
• point of view ( 1st - person narrator, 3rd-person narrator ( omniscient narrator, limited narrator)
• symbolism
• language ( stylistic devices, levels of speech, special appearances)
• (conclusion, interpretation)

Chapter 7)

immediately    -   gleich,umgehend
irritation         -   die Irritation, die Verärgerung
indicating       -   die Anzeige
mischief         -   die Gefahr, der Schaden
unworthy       -   unwürdig
exasperated   -   außer sich, entnervt
toddler          -   das Kleinkind
maturity         -   die Reife, der Termin, die Fristigkeit
progress        -   der Fortschritt, der Ablauf, die Entwicklung  
exchanged     -   ausgetauscht
duplication     -   Verdopplung
tattletale        -   Schwätzer, Quasselstrippe
solemnly       -   feierlich,festlich



Diary entry of jonas :

Dear diary,


I've never felt so invisible and inconsiderable in my whole life. But I want to tell you the story from the beginning.
It was the day of Assignment.  We sat in the very front, immediately before the stage. We were arranged by our original numbers. I'm Nineteen, because I had been the nineteenth newchild born in my year. I sat there and knew that very soon I would not be an Eleven but a Twelve, and age would no longer matter...I was very excited! Asher was Four, and sat now in the row ahead of me. Fiona was Eighteen and sat on my left. When the Chief Elder in her speech said "But today we honor your differences. They have determined your futures." I was very confused after this since  I really didn't know what were my differences to the other Elevens. I was uncertain what was special about me. Then she began to describe this year's group and its variety of personalities, though she singled no one by name. The following procedure dragged on. I was seriously trying to recognize each reference- But if I'm honest...my thoughts were always with myself.
I was feeling like a damn egoist! But I noticed that Asher's Assignment was very funny and furthermore that he and Fiona got "jobs" , which made them happy and satisfied. After Fiona it would have been my turn. But when the Twenty was called up, I realized that I had been skipped !!!
My first thought was that it was a mistake. I was sure, though that it was very unlikely that the Chief Elder did anything wrong. I panicked and got stunned. Although I was like in a trance for the rest of the ceremony, I felt the eyes of the others looking at me. And in the end there was only despair and I wondered what wrong I had done ???!!!
...
I will tell you the rest of the amazing ceremony soon...but I'm so tired now and just want to go to bed. There is so much unbelievable happend.
- A big change...
- A little bit patience ;-)

Good night !

Jonas

Chapter 5

Vocabulary


contribut        -   beisteuern, einen Beitrag leisten
rarely             -   selten
grasp             -   auffassen,erfassen,verstehen
vividly            -   eindringlich,lebhaft
lengthy           -   übermäßig lang
discuss           -   erörtern, sich über etwas beraten
disquieting      -   beunruhigend
infraction        -   Übertretung, Verletzung
chastise          -   jmdn. stafen
reluctantly      -   ungern,widerstrebend
dealt              -   gehandelt
punishment     -   Strafe
citizen            -    der Bürger / die Bürgerin
frowning        -    finster,stirnrunzelnd
odd               -    merkwürdig,sonderbar
chest             -    Brust
perspiring      -    schwitzend
plate             -     Bank
embarrassed -     verlegen,verwirrt,betreten
convince       -     überreden
murky           -     trüb,dunkel
wiggle           -     schlängeln,wackeln
instructor      -     der Ausbilder / die Ausbilderin
tray              -     die Ablage
Stirring         -     das Rühren (hier ist Jonas' neuartiges Gefühl gemeint)
mentioned    -     betreffend, erwähnt
treatment      -     Behandlung, Bearbeitung
apply to s.o. -     sich an jemanden wenden
reassuring     -     beruhigend
affectionate   -     herzlich,liebevoll,teilnehmend
brightened    -     aufgehellt (aufgemuntert)
rude             -     gemein,grob,unverschämt
swallow       -     schlucken
dosage        -     die Dosis
adjust         -      anpassen
confide       -      vertraulich mitteilen
oddly         -       seltsam
pleasurable -      angenehm
upon          -      an,auf
disappear   -      verschwinden,erlöschen

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PElhV8z7I60

This video fits very good to chapter 5, because everything is very stiff and motionless. The music transfers gentle feelings with its seeming of unblameable sweetly sound. But  actually both, the video and the chapter, are about abort feelings : passion and appetency. Actually this video has the atmospere of desperation and if Jonas wouldn't take his pills I think he would feel the same...

____________________________________________________________________________

Poam about chapter 5


At first it was just a little,innocent dream
My thoughts are  virgin and confused...


But they 're mine
and was so fine
you can't reckless steal
those traumas never heal...


I'm really not amused !


(You must just allow
this new emotions.....)


Work up the courage to feel!
The reason why I seal:
I was full of social fears
Today I'm standing to my laugh and tears.


The dream was so promising
what  a sweetly, unusual  thing...


Beautiful warth everywhere
I never felt like this before
maybe this "New-thing" need my care
Want to dream it one time more...


And now it's lost until I'm old?
Start to revolt,
start to revolt!
And liberate yourself.


"But it shall stay a single time"
Whispers all the pills...
 And you don't rid the feeling,that...
          These pills kills!

Chapter 3+4 - Summary

Chapter 3)

Summary : When they arrive at home with Gabe, Lily notices his pale eyes. Jonas,too observes that Gabe, like he himself, has a certain depth in his look. Lily dreams of being a Birthmother, but Jonas tells her that it's better to be a Nurturer, because there's little honor in being a Birthmother. An Announcement is made when Jonas takes an apple home with him. He only took it, because he had noticed a change of the apple, while playing with it. He still thinks about the incident in the evening.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4 )

Summary: Jonas is looking for Asher with who he wants to spent his volunteer hours. He finally finds him and a girl named Fiona at the House of the Old. After getting his sign-up sheet stamped and sealed he joins Asher and Fiona who are helping in the bathing room. While bathing Larissa, she tells him about the celebration of the release of Roberto and Edna, the telling of his life and how he bowed to all of them and then walked through the special door in the Releasing Room. Larissa finds Roberto's life exciting and Edna's life boring and unimprtant, because she was just a Birthmother. From this you can conclude that in the eyes of the community it isn't a good job. Larissa can't answer Jonas' question where the released go and what happens to them. A part from that she thinks that nobody knows it,except the committee.

And a good picture appropriate to a situation in "The Giver"

-->    http://edu.glogster.com/media/5/17/85/9/17850983.jpg

* You should pay attention to :

• Clothing
• Location
• And to the apple, which is an important symbol of the further story ( I assume)

Another interesting bookcover

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/104/c/4/The_Giver_Cover_by_lunagoddess21.jpg

This is another bookcover of  "The Giver".  I was surprised that there is a girl on it. But I think in spite of that it fits very well, because this face is ever so motionless! I think the gloomy atmosphere is furthered by the fact that it is held just in black and white.

Homework for 11.3.2011 ! Chapter 6)

The growing up of children in this community 

My Task: Special Features:

1.  The Committee of Elders does the Matching of Spouses. An adult who applies to receive a spouse waits months or even years before a match is approved and announced. ( Factors are : Disposition, energy level, intelligence and interests.) The Matches are monitored by the Committee of Elders for three years before they can apply for children.
2. The Naming placement of the new-children ( New-children can be labeled Inadequate and released from the community).There are replacement children, who replace a lost child . Consequently there is a Ceremony of Loss and a Murmur -of-Replacement Ceremony.These Ceremonies do not exist for released children.
3.  no info
4.  The Fours,Fives and Sixes wear jackets fastened down the back so that they would have to help each other dress and would learn interdependence.
5. no info 
6. no info
7. The Sevens get a front-buttoned jacket ( The first sign of independence )
8. The Eights receive jackets with smaller buttons and pockets,indicating that Eights can keep track of their own belongings. They do volunteer hours for the first time.
9. Get a bicycle with a gleaming nametag
10. The Tens get a new haircut: Females lose their braids. Males get a manly short style which exposes their ears.
11. The Elevens get new clothing: different undergarments for the females, whose bodies were beginning to change; and longer trousers for the males, with a special pocket for a calculator that they would use this year in school.
12. The Assignment.

Conclusion: The rules in this community are strict and inhumane. The people aren't free- but the system works well. Everybody is safe except  those who are released. But what's the meaning of "released"? What happens to those who are released? I think this community forms little function- oriented robots! Furthermore I think it's difficult to have a typical childhood  there with a chance to develop into an individual.

Information about missed lesson.

Hey  folks,

I want to apologize for not being able to accomplish my tasks, because I didn't have the time to do so. I couldn't attend the last lesson, because there was an excursion with my latin-course. But I will do it later -this weekend!
I'm sorry.

Homework Chapter 1)

The first chapters are told with flashbacks. Jonas feels frightened as if something terrible would happen. He thinks of the first time he saw the aircraft and of his classmate Asher. He thinks about all this, while he's  walking home and thinks about his special feeling. Finally he decides, that he's apprehensive rather than frightened. This seems to be connected with the December, he has waited for so long . Moreover he seems to live in a strict community with a lot of rules at school, in the family and in gerneral. In the second chapter the reader realizes a family tradition: A kind of conference, where every member of the family  talks about his feelings.
In the end of the second chapter his parents have a serious conversation with him in course of which his little sister Lily is sent away, because she's too young. But she seems know what it is about. At this point of the story the reader realizes that something very important will happen in the future.

Characters we get to know:

Jonas

• reflective
• seems to be introverted
• twelve-year-old boy
• something special will happen with him in this December

Lily

• curious
• teachable
• caring
• her feelings were always straightforward, fairly simple,usually easy to resolve.
• seven-yearold sister of Jonas

Their parents

My Homework

Hey everybody,
as my homework until Friday I will write a short summery of the first two chapters and will describe the first characters I' ve come to know.

Pre-reading:

My first impressions / Assumption to the content:


Concerning the cover:

• A relationship between young and old
• Two persons in the same pose standing across from each other ( with outstretched arms)
• you can't perceive their faces
• The colours from the cover are in earthy tones
• It isn't very multicolored
• There is a light ray on the persons
• It seems to be mystical

Concerning the title:

• Maybe "The Giver" has a powerful position in the story
• Maybe it's about the give-and take in the society
• Or maybe it's about magic
• Or about a relationship between father and son

Well...we will see... ;)

It's a school project.
You see I created a "Reading Blog" about "The Giver" by Lois Lowrey.
I hope you will enjoy it!  (: