Risk it for the Biscuit

In Roald Dahl's short story, "Man From the South," an American cadet is found on a Jamaican beach seated with an English and a Spanish men. This cadet lights up his cigar with a lighter in the middle of all the wind. The Spanish men dressed with a white suit is surprised that this American could light up a cigar with just a lighter so he offers him a bet. If he could light up 10 times his lighter in a row he would receive a Cadillac from the year, but if he fails once the Spanish men would cut the Americans pinkie finger. The cadet at first decides not to bet but then he realizes that his pinkie has never worked for him so he bets. The English, Spanish and American boy goes up to the Spanish apartment and the bet start. The cadet is a pro and lights up his candle very relaxed until he is in his 8th light. Everything was on the American side and he was going to own a cadi, until what seemed as the Spanish wife entered the room and stopped all the bet. She apologizes for her housebound and told them that he has nothing to bet and that the Cadillac was hers. All this bet ended and the only thing that the American learned is to don't trust strangers. 

I admire Roald's skill of making images in your head without putting illustrations on his work. For example,

It was a fine garden with lawns and beds of azaleas and tall coconut palms, and the wind was blowing strongly through the tops of the palm trees making the leaves hiss and crackle as though they were on fire (1).

This is a perfect use of imagery because without even knowing Jamaica Dahl gives a precise description of this beach. I imagined a beach in Esmeraldas called Atacames because of the palm trees and the wind that the author describes. 

Roald's skill in imagery is good but not so good as his characterization. For example when the American lights up the cigar,

With his thumb he raised the top of the lighter, and again with the thumb he gave the wheel a sharp flick. The flint sparked and the wick caught fire and burned with a small yellow flame (8). 

Not only he explained meticulously the American action, but also he described perfectly the lighter and how this pro made it light. This can tells us that the cadet knows what he is doing and he has a true passion with his lighter. 

                                                                                             See the American's Lighter Designs 

This story is so interesting and well written that it really makes me picture it in my mind without having to see illustrations or a movie. What this book tells us is that strangers are not only trustful and you need to think of your actions before committing them. Roald Dahl is for my one of the best short story authors I have read and I am looking forward to read more of his work. Imagery and characterization is what makes book feel real.   

   

 
 

Release = Death

Chapters 17-30 have definitely been my favorites of the entire book.  A very suspenseful rising action has finished and a story-changing climax has absolutely made me addicted to this book. Specifically in these chapters we have learned a lot of juicy stuff that can help us predict how this book would end. First in chapter 17 a holiday took place in Jonas community, and while all his friends were playing a war game Jonas broke into tears since he had experienced the memory of war and all that horrible knowledge came to him. Then in a training in chapter 18 Jonas for the first time asked the Giver what had happened to the prior receiver, and the Giver explained that her name was Rosemary and she applied to release because of her training. Jonas started to question again the word release, how was it? The Giver himself told Jonas to watch the release that happened that morning because twins were born and one needed to be release...  For the surprise of Jonas in the open records he find a video tape of the release that his father made that day and actually now he discovers that release equals death. This part of the story made Jonas vision of life change completely that's why it is the climax. After that turning moment the Giver and Jonas find a solution and it is that with a very good plan, Jonas is going to be able to escape the community and the Giver would help him so all the memories Jonas has would be transferred to the people of the Community. It is a very risky plan but I hope Jonas would do it. 

 While I was reading the climax, one of the quotes that made me release that Jonas life would change completely was this. "He killed it! My father killed it!" Jonas said to himself. 

After this quote Jonas knowledge of life changed completely. All the time of his living he always wondered what the word release precisely meant and in less than a few minutes he discovered the truth he would never expect. Release was a synonym of death and all does poor people who were released at the end they were killed. Jonas is confused on what his father had done but since we know that in the community they don't have feelings we can infer that his father is not more than an ordinary person, he just doesn't know that killing someone is bad. In our world killing is one of the most terrible acts of life and almost in all of the religions killing is seemed as a sin. Now that Jonas has all the memories that compiled him he is able to understand that killing is a huge crime and that the act that his father did was incorrect. After that moment Jonas was so hurt that he didn't even want to go home again, so he started to look for solutions. That's why this moment is the climax; it changed Jonas perspective of his world entirely. 

  

The Giver and Jonas now have planned a very effective plan that would let Jonas escape his community and transferred the memories of his own to the people in the community. We also learn that Rosemary finds out to be the Givers daughter thats why he cant go with Jonas. I don't know what would happen next and especially what would happen to the community. I cant wait to finish this amazing book. 

Love the Most Important Feeling

This few chapters we have seen almost a complete rising action. A lot of important events have happens through chapters 13-17. Now Jonas has almost mastered the ability to see colors and he now ready to feel painful memories. Jonas has started seeing his community different and incorrect and he is trying to pass memories to Asher and Lily but there is no result. There were days that the Giver felt so painful that he couldn't train Jonas, but one day Jonas felt that his training would be suspended again but then the Giver asked for helped and Jonas received the painful memory of warfare. After receiving such a painful memory the Giver gave him beautiful ones. One day Jonas decided to let baby Gabe sleep in his room. In midnight Gabriel started crying and Jonas undecided tried to pass a peaceful memory to Gabe….. Something story changing happened. Gabe was able to received memories.                                                                                  

While reading chapters 13-17 this part of the book was very interesting to me and I was able to analyze it and make inferences. "Jonas kept receiving memories and one day he received the memory of love. After that day Jonas decided to don’t take his stirrings pills again."

I think this quote can tell us many different things on what is going to happen in the future of this book. I thing one of the main things this part tells us is the Jonas is begging to care less with his community and start to be independent. After receiving so many memories about the truth of his community he is now feeling uncertain and thinks his community is incorrect. Because of this Jonas wants to experience things he is only able to do it in his memories, like love. I think that this is another main reason why he decided to stop taking his pills… he wants to experience love. Love is one of the best feelings in the world and Jonas by not taking his pills he is going to have stirrings again and start to fell in love with Fiona.  I infer that later on in this book Jonas is going to fell in love with Fiona, and since she doesn’t feel love he is going to do anything to make Fiona love him.

This quote made me realize the importance of love in our lives. 

In this video Bakermat explains how important is love and I think this really describes what Jonas is feeling. And also this song is very good and I can't recommend it enough. 

I am very interested to read the next chapters and learn what would happen to Jonas.

            

Why Sameness?

Reading this book has been a spectacular experience and there are not enough words to describe how much I like this book. From chapter 9 to 12 many important events of the rising action are happening and this book little by little is getting more exiting.  Jonas knowledge and understanding of life have changed completely from his first training when he discovers a lot of new things.  Now we know that there is no color in the community and also nature like snow does not exists. The Giver is now passing memories from the past when there was still color and Jonas is now surprised of the past and wants to learn more about it by receiving memories. Also Jonas received his first painful memory and he is now prepared on what he would face in his future. I think this is by far the best part of the book until now and I can’t wait keep reading. 

Little by little Jonas is starting to see color

 

 

 

When I started reading when Jonas was in training I noticed a word that caught my attention.... SAMENESS. And The Giver clearly explains it.

The Giver shrugged. "Our people made that choice, the choice to go to sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences." 

 

This quote caught my attention because my definition of sameness might be very different from people of the Community. What is sameness? I think sameness in every sense is to be the same as everyone else. Differences are what make us human and unique and I think that this does not exist on the community. It is a wonderful idea to just take color out so there is not discrimination or racism but this entire people in the community are already use to this and they don’t even know how they really look because they don’t care since they are the same. I think sameness is a topic that is very talked throughout the book in things like Jonas eyes and when the narrator says that there is no real need for mirrors. I think after Jonas is given the real truth about his world and discover more things like colors and people he is going to spread the world and make everyone notice of the world they’re living. 

People in the Community would be like.......

 In these following chapters I think Jonas is going to learn about the real past of his community and start to ask questions about life to himself and the Giver. Also I think Jonas might begin to see color soon in the book and he is going to start spreading the word of the real true about life. Since he is able to lie I think all the lies are going to begging shortly causing Jonas serious problems. I can’t wait to start reading this book again.

Painfully Receiving Memories

Jonas life has been starting to change completely since chapter 4. Now Jonas experienced something he never had..... he had stirring and now he is part of the people who take stirrings pills.  Also the ceremonies of all ages have started and Jonas is anxious of what assignment he would be chosen. The ceremonies of ones through 11 is done and now it was number 19, Jonas turn to change his life. The chief elder skipped Jonas turn and he started to be nervous but at the end the chief elder told that Jonas had been selected to be the receiver of memories and it was a really life changer for Jonas since the receiver of memories was one of the most important jobs in the community.

When I was reading I was very wondered about this quote, "Jonas, the training required of you involves pain. Physical pain." I really wonder how receiving memories might cause you physical pain? The receiver of memories might also not be the job we are all thinking that consists on receiving memories but I predict that maybe this new job of Jonas would surprise him and change completely himself. Also in this part Jonas sees a beard man in the crow and I think that he might be the same as the man in the cover page. Is he the giver? I think he is but I don't know what his job is and how he would influence Jonas. 

This book has been an amazing experience and it is one of the few books I liked. I think what  the author makes that this book is so interesting is that she really describes everything very goo, all the characters and places sometimes I think I know them. This book is very easy to visualize and since I haven't seen the movie sometimes this book promotes me to become a better reader each time. I think the author has done an amazing job with this book and I cant wait to keep reading it.

Not Choosing a Future

Summary of Chapters 1-4

This past week I started reading The Giver and until now it has been an amazing experience. The book first introduces the main character, Jonas. He lives in The Community, a place were all is perfect and people don't have feelings. His whole life is going to change dramatically since in a month he is going to turn 12 and be assigned a job that he doesn't know. I also learned about his family and friends, Lilly, Asher and Fiona, that play a huge roll in this novel. I also learned about Gabriel that is a baby that is very special since he has light colors just like Jonas. Now Jonas is doing his volunteer hours so in December he can be assigned a job by the elders. Until now this book has been wonderful and I can’t wait to read the next chapters.  

Text Response

His father thought. "No, I don't think so. Of course the Elders are so careful in their observations and selections." 

This quote made me think of a lot of things that could happen in Jonas future. When Jonas turns 12 he is going to be assigned a job by the elders but his job is a mystery since he doesn't know what job he is going to be assigned. Also Jonas has done his volunteer hours in many different places and he knows what jobs he would like and which ones he wouldn't. Since we already read the inside cover I know for a fact that he is going to be the receiver of memories but I exactly don't know what this means but definitely it is going to change Jonas life.

Conclusion

Until know this book has been one of the best I have read and I cant wait to keep reading. Reading has never been a skill I like but actually The Giver is one of the few books I have liked and haven't got bored of. The author makes an incredible job at making you feel like Jonas and also she makes the reader engage more with the reading because the plot is amazing. I cant wait to continue reading this book and find out more about Jonas life.  

Pre-Reading The Giver

Interviewing the Book
After interviewing The Giver I have now a clear idea on what is going to happen in the book. I think this book is going to be about this boy named Jonas that is assigned to be the Receiver of Memory and from that moment Jonas life is going to drastically change since he is now living a whole new life. After interviewing the book I also realized that this book is based on a perfect future and like the Hunger Games this might end bad. Also in the cover page i see an old man and I don't exactly have an idea on who he is by my best guess is that he might be the president or governor of the community in which Jonas lives.
 

Dedication Page 
The dedication page says, "For all the children to whom we entrust the future." What I think this means is the this book is dedicated to all the children because today we are what the world depends on a future. Also this quote might connect to the book because Jonas might be a  life-changer in this book and also he is a kid so this can make sense on what the author is writing and to whom she is dedicating this book. 


   

Prediction
What I think this story is going to be about is that this guy named Jonas is going to be choose as the Receiver of Memories and sooner or later his going to realize that this suppose to be a perfect world is not actually perfect since no one has feelings. After a lot of question I think Jonas is going to find out the truth on why the world is like that. I am very exited to read this book I have receive very good comments on this book and it seems very interesting.