extra credit-book:The Giver

Imagine living in a world without color. Is that even possible? According to Lois Lowry, that's how the future is going to be. Her prediction is: after the earth is destroyed and then rebuilds up, there shall be nothing but sameness among some communities. In her book, The Giver everyone celebrates their birthdays on the same day, no one will be able to decide things for themselves, and only the few who were born with the ability to "see beyond" are able to see in color. The desire for scientific answers is a common feeling while reading this novel. With electronics and medicine, most don't understand why they are such a harmonized community. The lifestyles of these people are not complex at all, but they make you think in a complex manner. One would think of "no color" as gray, or white, but gray and white are both colors. So how are they seeing "no color?" Well maybe if everything is seen in gray then that's the only color and if there is only one color then they wouldn't know of colors. Obviously, this book really makes a person think. To go along with all of that, they go to school and train for their assigned jobs. No schools in this community and only one job studies history. These characters believe that sharing history (or as they call it "memories") will hurt their lifestyles. So that one person selected as "the receiver" is given these memories simply by the giver placing his hands on the receiver's back. The receiver then lives out the experience as more then just a memory. He can flashback to it at anytime but he feels pain as if its happening now. The only way to understand this story is to finish and so far, the answer remain unsaid.