Rules of The Giver

         Imagine not being able to do or have anything fun. Isn’t that kind of hard to put in your mind? Well, that's basically how it is in The Giver. Life is very orderly and… restrictive, you could say. There is a whole mess of rules In Jonas' Community! You get a bike when you are nine years old. You have coats that button from the back until you turn 7, and then you get regular coats. On top of that, you only get to keep your "comfort object", which is a stuffed animal, until a certain age.  Although some of the rules are good, most of them are bad.

            I just think it’s kind of harsh to have something your whole childhood, then have it get taken away. In most people’s opinions, you should get a bike and learn how to ride it before you turn 6. It would be just plain confusing to me to have to learn how to be interdependent, but then learn how to be independent. It just seems so forceful, to know something but then learn it another way.

            On the other hand, not getting a bike until you are 9 could be a pretty good idea. When you are older, you would be more responsible and not try to run away or things of that nature. Plus, to me, taking away a comfort object is like saying “Hey, it’s time to grow up.”

            Speaking of growing up, when you turn 12, you officially become an adult in The Giver.  You have to start working, which I think is a bad idea. First of all, it’s just cruel. Second of all, 12 years old is kind of young.

            There’s one other weird concept: you have to share your dreams with your family every morning at breakfast. What’s the whole point of that? What if you want to keep your dream a secret? But that’s another thing. You can’t keep secrets. Well, you could just say you didn’t have a dream, but that would be lying. You are not allowed to lie, obviously.

            There are just so many rules that I don’t get how the people in Jonas’ Community could possibly enjoy their lives. It really is hard for me to imagine living without any fun. In this world, I could never do things my own way, and that is not acceptable.