Evaluation

The idea of creating a blog is very good, I think. It was more than an alternation to have our lessons in the 'normal' rooms. More exciting, more informative.But one thing disturbes me. I do not think that it is good to give this blog a bigger attention than our class tests. To my mind the written work is higher to establish than the work on this blog. Every 'idiot' can write good english and can copy some texts from pages you do not find. The timing was good, because I can organize my whole day, although it was a bit stressful to post every post in time for the next lesson. As you can see in my blog I post averaged-big texts because of my time-problem. Maybe this problem explains my bad oral cooperation in the 'Blog-Time'.
Conclusion: At least I think creating a blog is a good idea, but not practicable in the secondary grade two. In the first secundary grade English is a main subject and pupils focuse more on the basic subjects. Anyhow I hope that this little critique does not have a bad effect on my mark.

Marco Weinhold

Book review

'The Giver' is a fantasy-/science-fiction novel, whichis written by Lois Lowry.
It was released in 1993.
The main protagonist in this book is Jonas, who lives with his family in a small town which is controlled and silent. At the beginning his world seems normal. He goes to school, he meets his friends and lives his own life.
Every year there is a ceremony in december where everybody is assigned. The young children are assigned to their families, the 9 year old children get their bikes and the 'Ceremony of Twelve' is the most important moment in their young life. All children are assigned to a job and as from now they are like in a apprenticeship.
Jonas is assigned as Receiver of Memories, as The Giver.
His Life changes now and he gets a trainer. He teaches him in all things he has to do. He also gets information about the beautiful aspects of life which are kept away from all people of the community. The bad aspects like war, enviousness or badness, too.
With this lore he can not work further on his task and he makes a plan with his trainer..
In my opinion this book is adapted for the English class. In general this book is good to be read by pupils. The content of 'The Giver' makes the reader contemplative. The reader can interpret every happening in an other way and can comepare his community with Jonas' community.
The open ending is another clue for Lois Lowry's ambition to let the reader look more critical on systems and structures in our community.

What Lois Lowry wants to say - like an appeal?!

When i finished reading the book i had a lot of unanswered questions. What does the author Lois Lowry think about this community? Is this structure or system now practible? Is the book like an appeal to the community in our time ?
I think it is not clear to interpret or to get some information from the book.
She did not mention her own opinion and maybe the open ending is one clue for her neutral mind. Both communities have advantages and disadvantages. Maybe she wants us to think about our behaviour, our rules, our norms and our system in the community.

I write the end of this post till thursday evening ;)

Second part:
Our community is coined of stereotypes, whether you live a life at ease, the culturally education, the religious education and the humans character. All these things affect the life in the community. Our rules are in the constitution but not as stern as it is in the community of the book 'The Giver' by Mrs. Lowry.
We do all have our own memories in which we are proud of. In my opinion the past is the most important time in our life. Everybody learns from mistakes or good happenings in the past. It is easier to comprehend things when you think about them in future. Besides Memories are often more than just memories. They are wonderful, special happenings in life. These happenings maybe changed the previous life. Birthdays of children or the wedding.
In the community of the book the life is limited. You do not have any memories. Memories of the community's past! I think this life is not the ideal of 'sameness'. When only the Receiver of Memory knows about the past and can change the elders plan, the rules are inconsequent. It is a hypocritical rule. The assignment is hypocritical. The allocation of every child is hypocritical.
The rule contradicts itself. The community is not real and not practicable with normal people. The normal human is egoistic, ambitious, sexual assassed, stolid and of course emotional.
To my mind this book is not a good example for the perfect life or for 'sameness'. Maybe Lois Lowry is a communist, i don't know, but with normal people such a system is not practicable and NOT FAIR!

Characterization of Jonas' father

Jonas’s father is a special character in this novel besides his son and ‚‚The old Receiver of Memories‘‘ , who seems to handle with important decisions and all emotions. Although Jonas’s father does not know about memories which can only see Jonas and The Giver insight into relationships and feelings, he shows many of the valued devices of humanity and sameness in the community.
Because of his job as a nurturer he has a deep connection to babies and so to the beginning of life in the community. He does not care only for the babies, he thinks about these babies in future. Actually he does not like the hollow word ‘’Love‘’, he means that feelings and emotions have been shown by relations and treatments. He cares especially for the new children named Gabriel. He brings him home every night to assure him against the banishment. When babies are released he feels a bit of guilty. His job is to give the babies a good entrance to their life and it is important for their future, also it is important for the community.
At least you can say that Jonas's father is the product of the society. Living in normally circumstances is easier and a kind like living with own values. But having grown up in a society where a release is the end resolution Jonas’s father can not access the deeper feelings that might be available to him.

Differences between the English Book Cover and the German Book Cover

 

 The cover of the english disbursement from the book 'The Giver'. This Version is more difficult to interpret, because it's not clear which person the old man and the young boy symbolize. I think the old man is Jonas as the old 'Receiver of Memories'. Like in the book explained with a beard and with light eyes. Like Jonas does. The young boy is Jonas before his assignment and before he knew that he is the chosen one. Both of them distend their hands in front of the other. Their position looks like a defending. Both characters can not work together. In the past they were One, but now they are splitted. These are extremes and they push off. The light which comes from the righthigh angle shines on both characters. At least i think this cover is at the first view not easy to understand. For understanding and interpreting this cover you have to read the book, because this two persons don't say something about the book's action.

Quelle: http://www.klett.de/sixcms/media.php/9/578140.463031.jpg

Differences between the English Book Cover and the German Book Cover

This cover belongs to the german version of the book 'The Giver

In the background you can see Jonas - The Receiver of Memories - in grey, black und white. Beside him there are mountains in blue, white and black. Behind it you see the red shining sun. In the middle of the picture are Jonas' eyes. The eyes are like cut from newspaper and pasted into the drawn picture. The rest of Jonas' face is very vacant. No emotions, no feelings, no mimic. All colours around the eyes are very cold and procure loneliness, coldness and helplessness. The eyes symbolize the warm, emotional and friendly person. You can see the glint in Jonas' eyes. The colorless face in the front is what all people of the community see when they look at the 'Receiver of Memories'. Nobody sees the person behind. jonas is imprisoned in his own body. He can not act like he wants. - Later on this day i will post the analysis of the cover from the english version of this book.

Quelle:  http://www.aleki.uni-koeln.de/lesebar/bilder/gr/hueter_der_erinnerung.jpg

characterization of some characters

Asher:
- Jonas' best friend
- sometimes he is scatterbrained
- hasty und fun-loving boy
- speaks very fast and forgets words
- is assigned to the position of Assistent Director of Recreation

 Fiona:
- another friend of Jonas
- red haired, only Jonas can see it
- patient and has good manners
- caretaker in the house of the old
- is part of Jonas erotic dream

I read more than till chapter 12, that's why i have more informations about this characters here.