Lost in the Rain

Ray Bradbury’s short story, “All Summer in a Day” starts in the middle of a day, a special day were the sun was going to come out in Venus, a place were the son comes out for an hour every 7 years. Margot was a girl that was born in Earth and had seen the sun plenty of times, she dreamed about the sun often since they moved to Venus and cant see it any more; in this world she felt excluded and she was the different girl in her class that got bullied by all. William was Margot’s classmate that bullied her the most so he said that she lied and she had never seen the sun and tried to convince her that the sun was never going to come out in Venus; Margot didn’t answer what he said so he locked her up in a closet. Some minutes after that the sum came out, and the children went outdoors to play and enjoy the feeling of the sun that they have never experienced before. When the time was over and the rain started falling again, all kids came back inside with tears after feeling the sun and knowing it will disappear for 7 more years, that’s when they noticed that Margot was still locked up in the closet and couldn’t feel the sun.

As I read the story, I realized the mood of the place these kids were living in and how Margot felt about that place,

“Now she stood, separate, staring at the rain and the loud wet world beyond the huge glass.”

I realized how Bradbury expresses Margot’s feeling when she sees that there is only rain falling outside and listen to the loud sound of rain pouring, with no hope of another weather or no expectation for the sun to come out. Margot was a very shy girl, with very happy memories living inside her, such as the sun. She dreamed often of the sun, but knew it was something hard to achieve. 

“She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair.”

This shows, that Margot used to be a confident girl when she lived in Earth, but as she moved to a different place and got new classmates, she lost everything she had and had to start all over with little success.

We can understand by reading this story the true message Ray Bradbury is trying to leave. We must always appreciate what we have because you never know what life is going to give; always respect each other’s beliefs and accept everyone as who they are by not letting envy consume you and influencing you on your actions. The use of detailed imagery and characterization makes the reader gain interest in the story as it did to me.

THE MEANINGLESS SOCIETY

Jonas is continuing to receive more memories every day and has almost been a year since he started his training. One day was declared an unscheduled holiday and Jonas rushed to go play with his friends; he couldn't wait to go play with his best friends ASHER and FIONA and as soon as he saw them he dropped his bike and went to play the game he had always played in his childhood that was based on warfare. As Jonas realized what was the real concept of this game a painful feeling came into his mind and body reminding him of the wounded soldier he saw on a memory and decided to stop playing the game confusing all of his friends. The Giver and Jonas continued the training until one day Jonas asked him about release and what happen to the previews receiver and the failure; he told him all about it and told him that her name was Rosemary and that she applied for release because she couldn't handle the pain she was receiving. Jonas wanted to know what release was so The Giver showed him the ceremony of release his father was preforming that morning were he killed the smallest of both twins and Jonas felt a lot of pain inside. That night, Jonas refused to go back to his dwelling because he was angry and hurt with his father, so he stayed the night with The Giver were they decided to create a plan for escape and leave the community were life is meaningless.

LIFE IS MEANINGLESS IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO CHOOSE

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain.  It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” (154)

Memories need to be shared by all. A memory is an important piece of fact that includes many knowledge and information that everyone should be able to know. Memories should be known by all so they know what their actions are and how they should feel or react towards sad or happy moments. As the Giver once told Jonas “Listen to me, Jonas. They can’t help it. They know nothing.” (153) people don’t have knowledge from memories to know what they do is right or wrong. An example would be Jonas’ father preforming the ceremony of release to the little twin by killing him, but he didn’t know what he was doing because he doesn’t have the memories to realize his actions and feel what a terrible thing he has done. Jonas community lives a life were very decision is made for them and everything is sameness.  

With all the pain and memories Jonas has received until now, he is starting to realize the terrible world he lives in and how nobody has the option to choose anything in his life. When Jonas and The Giver came up with the escape plan I thought that this is going to be a big risk for Jonas and his whole life will depend on it. Even though this will be a big risk, Jonas has enough courage, strength and knowledge from memories to survive and find out his way to Elsewhere. Since Gabriel has played a big role throughout the book, I think the Jonas and Gabe will stay together and run away together since they have so much in common such as the ability to receive and transmit memories and because Jonas loves Gabe too much to leave him behind. 

Memoires of Pain and Love

As Jonas continued to receive memories from the Giver, he leaned all colors and was able to name them all and keep them. There were days the Giver was suffering too much because of pain and sent Jonas away, but one day he decided to transmit one of the most painful memories to Jonas and this made him suffer a lot. With other painful memories Jonas received those last days, this made him suffer until one day the Giver decided to give him the happy memoire of Christmas, family and love. Jonas couldn’t stop thinking about the new term he had learn known as LOVE in a family and all around the world. One night Jonas decided to help his father with Gabriel and made him sleep in his room. Whenever he couldn’t sleep he will hold him until one day something unexpected happened and a memory was given to Gabriel unexpectedly. Jonas didn’t know what was happening but then predicted that Gabriel could be the next Receiver of Memory.

“They have never known pain, he thought.” (110)

What my thoughts were when I read this quote on the book was that Jonas job is not only about honor in the community because Jonas is facing more than he expected. The Giver is giving him too much pain and he is making Jonas suffer a lot. He is starting to realize how his job and his life connect and they are becoming a big obstacle in his daily life. Jonas does not understand why he is the one that has to go through all this pain and that is why he mentions “They have never known pain”.

The story in each chapter is getting more into the problem of memories and with all this information I can imagine that the story will lead to Jonas not being able to handle all this pain anymore. As each day he is experiencing more and more pain and suffering with the memories, he will do something about it as I mentioned on my previews predictions.  Since Gabriel received some memories transmitted by Jonas, he will now be a smarted kid and will not be released. Also, I think that Gabriel will not be released because Jonas will love him too much and will not let that happen.  

JONAS 

Pain or Pleasure?

When Jonas stepped out of the auditorium, he felt different and separated; he really didn’t know what would become of him after he got selected in the Ceremony of Twelve to be the new receiver. After that moment he realized that everyone, including friends and family started treating his differently. He read his new rules slowly and carefully and he got rules that impacted him. In his first day of training he met the Giver and begun with the first pleasurable memory snow and sunshine. As he asked the Giver about pain memories the Giver decided to give him the painful memory of sunburns and the consequences of sunshine.  At his next day of training Jonas experiences again what he thought was seeing beyond when he saw Fiona’s hair, so he described it to the Giver and made him repeat the memory of snow to see if Jonas understand what seeing beyond means. At the end, Jonas discovered the color red and the Giver decided to give him the memory of colors.

“The Chief Elder told me- she told everyone- and you told me, too, that it would be painful.  So I was a little scared. But it didn’t hurt at all. I really enjoyed it.”  (85)

My opinion towards this quote was that it can see that Jonas is really confused now that his training has begun. The Giver was kind with Jonas and started transmitting the pleasurable memories at first, but later Jonas realized that the painful ones were about to come. As I predicted on page 83, I can predict that the fun memories will come first and then the painful ones.

After I read my way through the exposition and beginning of the rising action, my thoughts towards the rest of the book is that Jonas will slowly begin to understand all the negative sides of the world and why they decided to become a community with sameness. Jonas will try to gain power and will try to change something so the community has more freedom. In conclusion, Jonas will continue to experience the relationship between pain and pleasure and will see what his community is really made up of. 

Continuation of the Book “The Giver” Chapters 5-8

As we are continuing to read the book “The Giver”, chapter 5 started with Jonas telling his dream about Stirring. Mother told Jonas that he should start taking those pills and she took that pleasure away from him. It was December and the ceremony of Twelve begun; Jonas’ group sat down next to each other depending on their birth number and the Chief Elder begun assigning one by one.  When it was Jonas turn, the Chief Elder skipped him and went to the next number ignoring Jonas. He was very confused and did not understand what was going on until she called him at the end of all assignments apologizing because of the inconvenience. She called Jonas to the stage and told him that he did not get assigned, he got selected that meant he is going to be the next receiver of memory.

            When Jonas was waiting for his turn to come in the Ceremony of Twelve, something unexpected occurred.  “But she had skipped him. He saw the others in the group glance at him, embarrassed, and then avert their eyes quickly. He saw a worried look on the face of his group leader” (57). My thoughts towards this quote are that first, I think the Chief Elder should not have done that to Jonas, he was very confused and was really embarrassed and did not feel good with the rest of his age group. Second, as they say on the book, the Chief Elder never makes mistakes but, in my opinion I think that she made a mistake by confusing all of his community and especially Jonas. Finally, I think that what she did was a bad way to inform this to Jonas because it was a big news and she told this to him when his feelings were mixed and he could not pay as much attention and give the same importance as he could have done in another time.

As I finished analyzing the previews chapters we have read, I can predict that Jonas’ training for the receiver of memory will begin and it will have a big impact on his life. All of his friends and family will see him as someone more important and will treat hi, differently and his daily life will change. When his training begins, he will see how life should really be with pain and pleasure included and thing he had never seen or heard about. Finally, my biggest prediction is that Jonas will try to change some things in the community but will not succeed and run away from the community. 

The Beginning of the Book "The Giver"

The book “The Giver” is about a boy named Jonas who lives in a society with his family unit and is about to become a Twelve. In this community there are many rules for every individual depending on your age and assignment. Each family is made up of a mom a dad a boy and a girl; you are not allowed to have babies unless you are a birthmother, and to get a child to have to apply for one. Each December, there is a ceremony were you change your age and new rules are given or taken away from each kid. At the ceremony of twelve, the last ceremony, you turn from being a kid to an adult and you get assigned for a job based on you volunteer hours and what the elders think it is best for each.  Jonas has no idea what his assignment could be so he is very nervous for his ceremony of twelve which is approaching. Jonas father is a Nurturer, he is in charged of all the newborn babies of the community until they get assigned to a family unit; but he is constantly breaking the rules, like for example, he brought one of the newborns to his house. Each job in the community is very important in the society, but not all of them are honored in there. Birthmothers have very little honor, but can also be important to keep the society growing.  As each individual becomes old, they are sent to the old house and later gets released which is a mystery for everyone in the community.

 After reading this couple of chapters of this book, my predictions are that Jonas’ ceremony of twelve will come soon and will get assigned to his job. His whole life is going to change and he is going to be trained for his assignment.  I think that his assignment will be at the house of the old because he has spent some of his volunteer hours there. Since this community has no idea what “being released” means, Jonas is going to find out and start disagreeing with the rule the society has. As time passes, Jonas will start to see life differently and will no longer think the way he used to think before becoming a twelve. 

“He was fascinated. It didn't seem a terribly important rule, but the fact that his father had broken a rule at all awed him” (12). My reaction towards this quote is impressing because I didn't imagine that anyone in this community had the courage to break a law, even if it was a small law. I think that father is a very intelligent man who is constantly breaking laws for his benefit and to find a way to improve or find solutions to situations. Breaking a rule in this community almost always had a consequence, sometimes big such as being released, or something small such as a reminder through the speakers. Jonas is very fascinated at this moment because he couldn't imagine his father breaking a rule and not being worried about it and happy about what he did. Finally, people in this society can be very scared and careful about breaking a law and this helps the society maintain order and peace. 

Interviewing the Book "The Giver"

INTERVIEW:

After interviewing the book “The Giver” my predictions about the story is that Jonas, a little boy, lives on a city where people like to call it perfect. Jonas has a really good and perfect life until he grows up and starts to realize that the world he lives in is full of dystopia. When he turns twelve, his whole life is going to change and will realize the reality of world he lives in once he starts training with The Giver. Jonas will continue to grow up and slowly change his opinion and realize the reality of his world.

DEDICATORY: 

Lowery dedicated the book “The Giver” "For all the children to whom we entrust the future." When he wrote that statement I think that what he meant was that this book was written for people who will try to be a good person with their society and try to not convert or let anyone change the world into a place with dystopia.  People who will not let the real world be turned like any other dystopian places such as the setting of the giver. Lowery wrote that with hope of societies not turning into dystopian places.

PREDICTIONS:

I think that this book is going to be about a boy named Jonas who has a perfect life in his society and lives happily I there. When he turns twelve they are going to take him to be trained with The Giver about the Receiver of Memory. At first he is going to be okay with it even though he want sure about that, but later he is going to start realizing what his world is really about and will no longer be okay with his society.