724 Machiavelli, Niccolò
televisions, cars—is rare or absent in the wider com-
munity; instead, the emphasis is on simple, com-
munal living without the advantages of technology.
However, as the novel progresses, the community
emerges as actually quite advanced because refer-
ences are made to jet planes, genetic engineering,
and climate control. In fact, science and technology
are important in creating a constant state of confor-
mity, referred to as “Sameness.”
Everything in the community is under strict
regulation to promote Sameness and create an envi-
ronment of uniformity. Jonas lives in a house identi-
cal to that of his friends; he wears standard-issue
clothing and rides a mass-produced bicycle. Family
life is regulated, and there are no exceptions to the
rule that each family includes a mother, a father, and
one sister and brother. Identical meals are delivered
daily and cleaned up by Laborers. A book of rules
is kept in every home, and small rule infractions
are announced over the community speaker, draw-
ing attention to and causing embarrassment for the
offender. More grievous transgressions are tolerated
only twice before the guilty citizen is Released, or
executed by lethal injection. Yet not only criminals
are Released; anyone who does not conform to
standards or is too sick or elderly to contribute to
society is also Released. Everything and everyone in
the community has a useful purpose, and technology
helps to create a perfectly ordered society.
This monotony encompasses not only mate-
rial things but also the landscape and the people.
Anything natural, which could cause discomfort or
inconvenience, has been eradicated. Technology has
been used to level hills, regulate climate, and control
sunshine. Except for a fish hatchery, the community
is also devoid of animal life, suggesting that humans
have excluded or driven native wildlife to extinction.
The stuffed animals such as bears and elephants
that children receive as “comfort objects” are consid-
ered to be mythological creatures. The people have
manipulated science to completely control nature,
and the Giver’s memories make Jonas realize that
the world was once very different.
The humans of the community are also tightly
regulated by technology. The use of genetic engi-
neering has eradicated different racial or ethnic
groups; therefore, most people are similar looking.
The standardization of haircuts and clothing sup-
ports this similarity because this community does not
accept individualization. In addition, social harmony
is established by the numbing of emotions, particu-
larly romantic feelings such as love and desire. All
adults are required to take a special pill that effec-
tively controls their sexuality. Spouses are chosen by
a committee of Elders, and children are born only to
specifically designated “Birthmothers.” As a reaction
to these changes, people have lost creative abilities
and can no longer see colors or hear music.
While the technologies make the community
an extraordinarily safe place to live, life can be dull
and repetitive. Individuality is never celebrated
because everyone is expected to conform to com-
munity standards; in fact, talking about personal
accomplishments is discouraged. When Jonas begins
receiving memories and seeing colors, he feels sad
that his family and his peers cannot enjoy the beauty
that has been revealed to him. Soon, he realizes that
the lack of variety in his world is a true loss to the
enjoyment of life. The Giver explains to Jonas that
long ago the community chose to give up unique-
ness in order to take the dangers of unpredictability
and chance out of life.
While it appears that this community may have
many advantages over our contemporary society,
such as low crime, Jonas’s world is ultimately pre-
sented as a dystopia, a society that has gone too much
to one extreme. Since science has a role in creating
this society, The Giver can be seen as a cautionary tale
about the misuse of technology. Humans in the book
have learned how to control nature, but they have
destroyed the animals and natural landscape that
once existed. Art, books, and music do not exist, and
Jonas sees that the people’s lives are without mean-
ing or true enjoyment. As our society makes huge
advancements in technology, Lowry’s book warns
about the results of scientific exploitation.
Cheryl Blake PricemaCHiavELLi, niCCoLò The
Prince (1513, 1532)
The Prince is one of the most widely known works
in the “primer for princes” tradition, which provides
advice to rulers on domestic and foreign policy. It