Choices Watch the official trailer for the movie The Giver. Does this look like a film you would like to watch? Why or why not?
The Giver
Lois Lowry (1937–) is an American writer.
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The novel The Giver is set in the future. In this extract you will meet Jonas, who lives in a community where there is no war, no jealousy, no hunger and no pain, but also no colours and no choices. Everything is decided by the elders. They decide who should get married, whether a couple can receive a baby from a professional birthmother and which profession a teenager is going to train for. The idea is that this sameness will create a society without conflicts and where no-one makes wrong choices. When he is 12, Jonas is told that his role is to become the next Receiver, the person in this community who keeps all the memories from the past and learns about the world outside. The Giver, one of the elders, is transferring his memories from his own mind to Jonas’ mind, and in this process, Jonas can see colours.
Remember! You don’t have to understand all the words in a story to enjoy it.
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The Giver told him that it would be a very long time before he had the colours to keep. “But I want them!” Jonas said angrily. “It isn’t fair that nothing has colour!” “Not fair?” The Giver looked at Jonas curiously. “Explain what you mean.” “Well ...” Jonas had to stop and think it through. “If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?” He looked down at himself, at the colourless fabric of his clothing. “But it’s all the same, always.” Then he laughed a little. “I know it’s not important, what you wear. It doesn’t matter. But –” “It’s the choosing that’s important, isn’t it?” The Giver asked him. Jonas nodded. “My little brother –” he began, and then corrected himself. “No, that’s inaccurate. He’s not my brother, not really. But this newchild that my family takes care of – his name’s Gabriel?”
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LOIS LOWRY
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extract utdrag community samfunn the Elders de eldre receive motta birthmothers her: kvinner som har som jobb å føde barn profession yrke sameness likhet the receiver mottakeren keep beholde memories minner past fortiden transferring overfører mind sinn, sjel curiously nysgjerrig colourless fargeløs fabric stoff clothing klær inaccurate upresist newchild = child born by birthmother
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