Shawnese Johnson Final Exam Essay

The Hero's Journey relates to The Giver, because Jonas goes through two of the three stages of a Hero (or hero's journey). He never really goes through the third stage because in the book we don't know if he goes home. The last thing we are told is that he is on a sled and on a hill. So he never returns as far as we kno. Jonas does however go through two stages. He goes through separation and initiation.

Jonas's separation

Jonas first goes through separation at the ceremony of 12. He was waiting for his number to be called so that he could receive his job assignment. He was waiting to be called, nervous about what assignment he was going to receive, and about beginning his training. Rite when his number was came up, it never got called. He was skipped. He was ashamed and didn't know what to do or think. At the end of the ceremony everyone was wondering why he had gotten skipped. Then an elder had gotten on stage and made an announcement that he had received the most important job in the community. The receiver of memory. So, at this point in the book, to me this is the separation. This is separation because he is separated from the rest. After today him or his friends will no longer get to play or be together outside of school. They have to go to work for their training. At Jonas's particular job he couldn't even talk about his training with his friends.

Jonas's Initiation

Jonas's initiation to me would be when he receives his first memory. Its also the most important part of the book. he gets to know what others wont. He gets to know about what others don't. He gets to see in color, when everyone else sees in black and white. His mentor is the Giver. The man who actually gives him these abilities, the reason why he has feelings. Jonas learns what pain is. Nobody else in the community knows of any of these emotions. Whether happy or sad. Now that the giver gave the memories to him, he now knows of pain, sadness, and other emotions. Jonas starts his transformation when he learns of death. In the community they don't know of death. They know that when people get old they get released to leave the community. Jonas knows what release is now, and knows it shouldn't be done. He knows that when someone is sentenced to release or goes to get released they are actually getting killed and he doesn't like it. To me he goes through a big transformation here because he knows what they are doing, even though they don't and he knows it shouldn't be done because its wrong. Especially when done to kids.

End

Jonas doesn't really have a return because we never find out what happens to him. I mean he could of gotten hurt, killed, or returned to the community. You never know. I picked this book and the hero's journey because to me he is a hero. He saved a baby named Gabriel from getting released because he knew it wasn't right, and knew it shouldn't of even been thought of being done. To me he is a hero for that, because he has came a very long way from being like the rest of his community & not knowing, to knowing whats right and whats wrong, and doing something about it.