There is an implication that being a Birthmother requires youth and good health, but little more, as does being a Laborer, so this is akin, in our society, to unskilled labor, which people in our own society often look down upon, too. Approved by eNotes Editorial Team Latest answer posted October 16, 2020 at 5:47:10 PM
What is the job of the birthmother in the giver?
The job of Birthmother in The Giver, we are told, sounds pleasant at first. They are expected to have the babies for the community. They are very well-fed, expected to exercise only very gently, and are able to have fun while they are awaiting the births of the babies, entertaining themselves with games and other amusements.
How many babies does the mother give birth to in the giver?
She gives birth to three babies in threes year and for the three year she lots of fun too. After the three years, she becomes a laborer until she reaches the House of the Old. Q: What is a birthmother in The Giver?
What is the purpose of the Society in the giver?
The society in The Giver exists to remind us that pushed to its limits, science and rationality can extinguish what it means to be human. Totalitarian or Egalitarian?
Who is given the assignment of the birthmother?
Inger is given the Assignment of Birthmother at the Ceremony of Twelve. Claire, Gabriel 's mother, is a Birthmother. Madeline is given the Assignment of Birthmother at the Ceremony of the Graduates.
How are Birthmothers regarded in the community the giver?
Summarize how birthmothers are regarded in the community. They are thought of as an intelligent, low class, not an assignment that most women want to receive. They are allowed three births then do manual labor, they are just used to give birth, not often assigned a family unit, and look down on by others.
What do you think is the social status of Birthmothers in the community?
Birthmothers have a low status because they have easy lives for a few years, to produce three children, but after they spend the rest of their lives doing labor. 7.
What do we learn about Birthmothers?
What did you learn about 'birthmothers' in this chapter? Some women were assigned to be birthmothers. It was not an honorable assignment. They gave birth to 3 children and then had hard labor for the remainder of their lives.
What was the treatment to Jonas's stirrings?
He remembers feeling a strong “wanting.” After sending his sister off to school, Jonas's mother tells him that the feelings he is having are his first Stirrings, something that happens to everyone when they get to be Jonas's age. She gives him a small pill as “treatment” and reminds him to take his pill every morning.
What does the treatment of Birthmothers before and after suggest about this society?
What does the treatment of Birthmothers (before and after)suggest about this society? They get three years of luxury then have to have three babies. When Lily is an Eight, what is one activity she will be eligible to do?
How are elderly treated in The Giver?
They are treated as children, rather than as knowledgeable individuals, and are basically taken care of until they're killed off. When dealing with the elderly, ritual masks reality, as it does in much of this novel.
What happens to Birthmothers in The Giver?
The Birthmothers are treated well only until they have produced their allotted three children for the community. Afterward, they are given a life of hard labor.
How old are Birthmothers in The Giver?
The official word is that birthmothers are selected at age 12, given three years of training to prepare their bodies for motherhood (good nutrition, fitness regimens, and the like), followed by one baby a year for three years, and then they work as laborers until age 65 or so.
Who named the baby The Giver?
A Newchild (Plural: Newchildren) is a term used to describe children in the Community that have recently been born, by Birthmothers. If a Newchild is qualified, they are presented to their assigned parents and given their names at the Naming Ceremony.
Why do you think stirrings are treated with pills in this community?
Why must Jonas take pills? According to community rules, Jonas must take a pill to stop “the stirrings,” or the onset of sexual desire during puberty. Jonas's mother gives him the pills after he talks about an erotic dream in which he wanted to bathe Fiona, which reveals Jonas's burgeoning sexuality.
What treatment will Jonas receive each day as a result of the stirrings?
As a result of Jonas' discussing his dream, his mother tells him that he will have to start taking a pill. She explains that all of the adults in the community take a pill every day to stifle the Stirrings — sexual desires. The pill is another way that the Committee of Elders controls people.
How did Jonas feel about the stirrings?
How did Jonas feel about the stirrings? He found them pleasurable, and wished he could feel them again.
What is the job of a birthmother in The Giver?
The job of Birthmother in The Giver, we are told, sounds pleasant at first. They are expected to have the babies for the community. They are very well-fed, expected to exercise only very gently , and are able to have fun while they are awaiting the births of the babies, entertaining themselves with games and other amusements.
What does Lily's mother say about her birthmother?
Lily thinks she would like to be a Birthmother, but Lily's mother says "There's very little honor in that Assignment" (21). It is interesting to note what Lily's mother says because the community seems to be based on sameness and an implied equality, but this passage suggests that there is a kind of hierarchy in the community nevertheless.
Why is Lily's mother upset?
It is for this reason that Lily's mother is so upset about her desire to become a Birthmother for there is clearly no honor in being one . In conclusion, the passage makes it ironically clear that this supposedly utopian society has a clinical, harsh approach to life. It is devoid of emotion, which we learn is discouraged.
What chapter does Lily express her wish to become one?
We learn about the duties of Birthmothers in chapter five, when Lily expresses the wish to become one. Her mother is quite upset by her declaration and responds tersely, telling her that she should not say that for there was "little honor in that Assignment.". Lily then tells her mother what she had been informed by Natasha, ...
What happens when Lily and the House of the Old are too old to work?
Once they are too old to work, they enter the House of the Old. The prospect of having to work hard for the rest of her life after three years of advantage makes Lily reluctantly agree that such a life does not sound so appealing after all.
Do birthmothers perform labor?
They are not expected to perform any labor. It is these aspects which Lily finds attractive. Her mother informs her, however, that Birthmothers only enjoy these privileges thrice in their lifetimes. After giving birth a third time, they become Laborers and have to perform hard physical tasks until they are aged.
Do birthmothers have good jobs?
In these terms, then, it seems as if Birthmothers have very pleasant jobs.
What is Jonas' mother's comment?
Jonas's mother comments that there is no honor in either assignment. By breaking the bond between mother and child, the community severs the most fundamental human emotional connection. It is now clear that the community's aim is to eliminate all of these connections, to eliminate all strong bonds or emotions.
What does Jonas notice about Gabriel?
The next day Jonas 's father brings home Gabriel. Although mirrors are rare so that he has only seen his own reflection a few times, Jonas notices that Gabriel has pale eyes like his, while most people in the community have dark eyes.
What did Jonas say in the announcement?
The announcement, directed to male Elevens, said, "snacks are to be eaten, not hoarded," in reference to an apple Jonas had taken home with him.
Why did Jonas take the apple home?
He took the apple because, as he had been tossing the apple back and forth with Asher, he had noticed that the apple seemed to change. But Jonas could not identify how it had changed, and Asher didn't notice any change at all. To study the apple, Jonas took it home.
What is the problem with the Giver's society?
Last of all, the problem with The Giver’s society is that it cannot truly create any real family bonds between people and their family. In the society, monotony and sameness are the values that are truly apparent and seen in the story. Inhabitants in the society have become accustomed to living in that way for such a long time, ...
What is the utopian society of The Giver?
In the so-called utopian society of The Giver, the neighborhood which the main character , Jonas, resides in is precisely like this . The society which is depicted in the story is an impression of what a paradise is . Through the relationships that we have the ability to see in the story, such as interactions with the opposite sex, ...
Why does Jonas fail to transmit the memories of color to Lily and Asher?
When he tries to transmit the memories of color to his friend Asher, and to Lily, he fails, simply because the two of them are just physically incapable of perceiving colors. A clear disadvantage of the relationship with Jonas and the Giver is that he starts to alienate himself from his own society.
What is a guideline in place?
Even though this is an example of simply a young boy helping the society, a guideline in place exists, which states that it is “against the rules for kids or grownups to take a look at another’s nakedness; but the guideline did not use to new children or the Old.
What is an example of love not apparent in the society?
It was a word and concept new to him.” (Lowry 125) Also, an example that clearly shows that love is not apparent in the society is when Jonas asks his parents whether they love him or not. They respond with the saying that love is meaningless, that love is without a doubt obsolete.
What is Jonas' society?
The society which Jonas lives in is a one that has been in many modern societies of today. For example, Soviet Russia, as well as China during the Cultural Revolution. In the Soviet Union, people believed that uniformity and monotony were the core values of the country, and should always be upheld.
How does society limit relationships with the opposite sex?
Another manner in which the society limits relationships with the opposite sex is when you recognize that there can be no intimacy whatsoever. In the society of The Provider, everyone is designated a job, and they stay with that task their entire life. Individuals are not given any liberty to select which task they would like.
What is the society of the giver?
The society of The Giver also has analogies to aspects of certain kinds of communities that exist in the real world. There are subtle hints of totalitarianism, communism, and egalitarianism. It could be described as totalitarian because citizens are not given a choice about what happens to them.
What were the major developments of the early 20th century?
Industrial development, the rise of totalitarian governments in Europe, eugenics, genocide, and world war: some scholars suggest that these developments of the early 20th century brought with them a cloud of pessimism that made it impossible to see how society could turn out for the better.
Why is Lowry's society a dystopia?
Lowry's society could also be characterized as a dystopia, because its fictional setting reveals the drawbacks to intentional, designed communities. The society in The Giver exists to remind us that pushed to its limits, science and rationality can extinguish what it means to be human.
Who is Ivy Roberts?
Ivy Roberts has taught undergraduate-level film studies for over 9 years. She has a PhD in Media, Art and Text from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA in film production from Marlboro College. She also has a certificate in teaching online from UMGC and non-profit marketing and fundraising from UC Davis.