In The Giver, birthmothers hold such a low status in the community because they are considered unskilled laborers. The text hints that birthmothers have as little prestige as laborers in Jonas 's community. In the story, laborers perform manual labor, so their training periods are short. Birthmothers also enjoy similarly short training periods.
What is the role of birthmother?
Birthmother (Also known as Vessels) is the role given at the Ceremony of Twelves to a female. Their job is to provide children for the community. They are not allowed to have children (to take care of) of their own, nor have spouses afterward.
Why is being a birthmother looked down upon in our society?
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.
How did the birthmothers give birth?
Most Birthmothers give birth naturally, but in Claire 's case, she had to have a Caesarean section. 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.
What do we learn about the duties of birthmothers in Chapter 5?
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."
How are Birthmothers viewed in the community?
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 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 rules and punishments are used in Jonas's society how does Jonas feel about the rules?
How does Jonas feel about the rules? no questioning each other allowed, no lying, no rudeness, and if you break to many rules you will be released. Jonas follows the rules, but doesn't agree with them.
What problem did the Newchild have that resulted in it staying at Jonas's house?
Why was the new child, Gabriel, staying with Jonas' family unit? Father was concerned about him. He was not developing or growing fast enough. Father did not want him to be released.
How do Birthmothers in The Giver get pregnant?
The birth mothers stop taking the pills while they are being used as birthmothers. It doesn't talk about birthfathers in any of the books but it explains that the girls become pregnant through artificial insemination. For three years they are used as wombs.
Why do you think Birthmothers or biological mothers held such a low status 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.
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.
How does Jonas society deal with adults with grown children?
How does the book's society deal with adults with grown children? What does such an arrangement lose? They go live with the childless adults. increased, as in size, volume etc.
How does Jonas feel about his community and how it operates?
Based on chapter 2, Jonas generally has positive feelings for his community and how it operates. For example, he remembers Lily being assigned to his family with fondness and does not seem to question or wonder why children must be assigned to families.
What can you infer about this society and its rules from the words given spouses?
What can we infer about the society and its rules from the words "given spouses"? People in the Community cannot choose who they marry. What rule is the speaker referring to in this sentence? "The fact that his father had broken a rule at all awed him."
What did Jonas realize as he watched the tape of the release of the Newchild?
What did Jonas realize as he watched the tape of the release? The new child was dead and that his father had killed it.
What about the society is revealed by the reaction to eye color in The Giver?
Answers 1. When Jonas's father brings Gabriel home, Lily notes that the newchild has the same pale eyes as Jonas, which Jonas resents because society does not consider it polite to mention when an individual is somehow different from others.
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.