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UTOPIAN SOCIETIES

UTOPIAN SOCIETIES. Introduction to The Giver by Lois Lowry. What is UTOPIA?. An imagined place where everything is perfect. . PLEASENTVILLE. Origins. The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More to describe a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean.

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UTOPIAN SOCIETIES

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  1. UTOPIAN SOCIETIES Introduction to The Giver by Lois Lowry

  2. What is UTOPIA? • An imagined place where everything is perfect. PLEASENTVILLE

  3. Origins • The word was first used in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More to describe a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. • It is a Greek word that means "no place” or “good place”. • Why do you think this name could be important?

  4. Examples of Utopia • Plato’s Republic – people are divided into classes, and the rulers are supposed to distribute wealth evenly to everyone (EVERYONE IS EQUAL). • Ecological Utopian society – there should be a perfect relationship between humans and nature.

  5. More Examples • Scientific Utopia – set in the future, when advanced science will allow everyone to live happily and equally. For example, there will be no death or suffering. (SCIENCE FICTION)

  6. Your Perfect Day 1. Write a description of your perfect day. You have 7 minutes. NO ONE CAN TALK! • Include: • People Events • Weather Colors • Places Time • Things/objects Words • Thoughts/feelings 2. Read your descriptions to your groups. 3. Make a list of everything your perfect days have in common.

  7. THE GIVER • Setting: Utopian Community • No color • No feelings (pain, joy, etc.) • No memory • No family/relationships • No choice of jobs • People who are not useful in society are “released” from the community • Climate control (no weather) • Strict rules • No choices • Everyone is equal (and the same)

  8. Main Characters • JONAS is an eleven who is chosen to be the next Receiver of Memories in the community. As he completes his job training he begins to learn the truth about his community. • THE RECIEVER/THE GIVER is an old man who holds all of the communities’ memories and is passing them to JONAS so he can take over this job. He has become very tired from keeping all of these memories.

  9. More Main Characters • JONAS’S PARENTS are not actually his parents, but they have raised him under the rules of the community. • ASHER is JONAS’S best friend who is very fun and happy. He and JONAS slowly drift apart as JONAS starts to understand things about the community that ASHER feels very much a part of. • ROSEMARY was supposed to be the RECIEVER before JONAS, but she failed because the job was too difficult for her. She asked to be “released” from the community.

  10. Your Life • Think about the perfect day that you described AND what we’ve talked about with The Giver, and answer these questions in separate paragraphs: • Would you want to live in a utopian community? Why or why not? • How would you feel if you lived in a utopian community and had never known anything different? Would you like it there?

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