I’ve searched for a discussion about it, but it’s been a long time since these were posted on Reddit, so they’re archived.
So I’d like to start a new one. What are your opinions on the society? Do you think paying the prize of euthanizing people and taking their emotions on behalf of living peacefully and without a single worry in the world is a good idea? Or do you think it was wrong?
Personally I believe emotions are what’s giving our lives meaning. Without them we may as well just stare at a screen for the rest of our lives and see what happens, as everything is planned in the smallest detail already and everyone knows what’s about to happen. It’s taking away what’s worth going on for. Curiosity. Growth. Love.
But I understand that some people would prefer this way of living. Without emotions we can make more logical judgements and for some people logic is more important than our desire for love and freedom.
I’d like to hear different opinions on this matter and the reasons for it. No judgement whatsoever from my side.
by Octascrew
3 Comments
Lois Lowry did an AMA here in /r/books [you might want to check it out](http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/3ab3fz/hi_reddit_i_am_lois_lowry_author_of_the_giver_ama/?) 🙂 . [Here’s a full list of our upcoming AMAs](http://www.reddit.com/r/books/wiki/amafullschedule)
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I’m not sure who would argue the Giver’s society is doing the right thing/is good. It’s a dystopian novel, and not a very subtle one, so obviously it’s saying the society is bad. Your view on emotions is pretty much the thesis of the novel.
I think it was wrong.
>!I think euthanizing babies who aren’t perfectly docile little humans is wrong.!<
It’s a strange society they have and it gives you a lot to think about.
When I finished this book, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what happened next. I took it as >!the boy and the baby dying!< but I know not everyone believes that. I’d like to believe there were other parts of the world that hadn’t settled into the unemotional dystopian society we saw.
As you say, having emotions is part of being human. Stripping us of emotions is not the right thing to do, even if it makes things more convenient sometimes. Sacrificing freedom for convenience and all that.