The Giver Reading Response 1

            Childhood is a time where kids have some freedom and are new to the world.  I read the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, it’s about a kid named Jonas who turns twelve and gets selected to be the next Receiver.  As the new Receiver he learns about the past and pain.  He got horrified as he experiences true pain.  Jonas is experiencing the truth that the government is hiding from the town.  As people grow up they remember their childhood freedom.  Also how guidance and punishment helped them become more mature.

            During childhood kids have freedom that they lose as they grow up.  The freedom to do anything you want because they were little.  As kids grow up they lose some freedom because they have many responsibilities and need to meet some requirements for life.  A quote from the text is “He remembered when he had become an Eight and had been faced with that freedom of choice.”(26).  Jonas has many responsibilities that his freedom to choose what he is going to do today is completely gone.  When people are grown up they lose the freedom of their childhood, in Jonas’ case it’s his freedom of choice.

            With guidance children would become more mature and understand the world better.  Your parents are guiding and teaching their children between right and wrong.  A quote from the text is “But with guidance, as they developed self confidence and maturity, they moved on to other jobs.”(26).  Children need guidance to show them the right path and not wander on the wrong path.  The right path is where people have success and the wrong path is where people use dishonest means to get what they want.

            Punishment is needed to keep children from learning bad stuff.  If children don’t get punished for a bad thing then they will do it again because they think it’s okay.  A quote from the text is “The childcare specialists were trained very carefully in the discipline methods; a quick smack across the hand for a bit of minor misbehavior.”(54).  This quote is showing that adult punish kids for the good of it.  To help them learn not to do bad stuff.

            In conclusion kids have more freedom that adults.  But they need guidance and punishment so they become good people.  An example from the book is that Jonas remembers when he had recreation time where he decides what he wants to do.  But when he grew he has a specific schedule and he doesn’t decide what he is going to do that day.  Also Jonas remembered when he would get smacked if he did a misbehavior. I can connect with the book because like me I remember my childhood where I had the freedom to do anything.  But I also remember how my mom hit me if I lied or stole something.  I remember my parents teaching me to do a lot of stuff like riding a bike and how to write neatly.