Religion

QUESTIONS 5. To Whom Should I Listen?

LOIS LOWRY

The Giver

. h" h falls into the category known as "young adult fiction". The ewer. w ic d Id d I 1·k c ' is ·ddle schoolers an o er a u ts a I e, ,or it probes t'· opular among m1 . . . . e 111- p . f nduring interest. It 1s set in a seemingly utopian, futurist" cal issues o e . re world organized in ways that are meant to remo~e pain and conflict from everyday life. Yet there are evidently a few cracks in the system; Jonas, the novel's protagonist, has begun to notice unusual things and to have some questions about the society in which he lives.

This selection describes an •annual community ceremony in which young people are assigned to the work the adults believe will be most fit- ting for them. Clearly, the process leading up to this ceremony is proof that the adults have paid careful attention to the gifts of each child in the community as well as to the community's need for certain kinds of work to be done. Does this ceremony therefore embody Frederick Buechner's defi- nition of vocation (see Part I)? And in what ways does the Assignments ceremony fulfill Russell Muirhead's proposal that everyone should have "fitting" work (see Chapter 2)? How might Buechner and Muirhead criti- cize this process?

Chapter Seven

~ow Jonas's group had taken a new place in the Auditorium, trading witb t e new Elevens, so that they sat in the very front immediately before tbe stage. •

beenThey were ~rranged by their original numbers, the numbers they had given at birth Th b N · g But

each ch"ld kn . · e num ers were rarely used after the amin: . 1 ewh1snumb f d hmm~· er, o course. Sometimes parents use I e

From Lois Lowry, The Giver (New y ork: Dell Laurel-leaf. 1993), pp. 50-64.

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h ·Jd's misbehavior, indicating that mischief made one unwor- ·tation at a c I !ways chuckled when he heard a parent, exasperated,

rt e Jonas a thY of a nam · h"ning toddler "That's enough, Twenty-three!" call sharply to a w

1 t n He had been the nineteenth new child born his

was Nme ee • . d Jonas that at his Naming, he had been already standmg an

Year. It had meant walk and talk It had given him a slight advantage the . d soon to · . h bright-eye ' rule more maturity than many of his groupmates w o

ar or two, a i . d . I first ye . he later months of that year. But It evene out, as 1t a ways had been born m t

did, by Threhe. the children progressed at much the same level, though by After T ree, h Id h

b O ne could always tell who was a few mont s o er t an h • first num er t eir . h" oup Technically Jonas's full number was Eleven-nineteen, thers m is gr · ' 0 . h were other Nineteens, of course, in each age group. And today,

smce t ere h" . h h the new Elevens had been advanced t 1s mornmg, t ere were rwo nowt at d h d ·1 . h h Eleven-nineteens. At the midday break he ha exc ange sm1 es wtt t e

new one, a shy female named Harriet. But the duplication was only for these few hours. Very soon he would

not be an Eleven but a Twelve, and age would no longer matter. He would be an adult, like his parents, though a new one and untrained still.

Asher was Four, and sat now in the row ahead of Jonas. He would re- ceive his Assignment fourth.

Fiona, Eighteen, was on his left; on his other side sat Twenty, a male named Pierre whom Jonas didn't like much . Pierre was very serious, not much fun, and a worrier and tattletale, too. "Have you checked the rules, Jonas?" Pierre was always whispering solemnly. "I'm not sure that's within the rules." Usually it was some foolish thing that no one cared about - opening his tunic if it was a day with a breeze; taking a brief try on a friend's bicycle, just to experience the different feel of it.

The initial speech at the Ceremony of Twelve was made by the Chief El- der, the leader of the community who was elected every ten years. The speech was much the same each year: recollection of the time of childhood and the period of preparation, the coming responsibilities of adult life, the profound importance of Assignment, the seriousness of training to come.

!hen ~he Chief Elder moved ahead in her speech. kn This is the time," she began, looking directly at them, "when we ac- . owledge differences. You Elevens have spent all your years till now learn- ing to fit in to t d d" b . • s an ar 1ze your ehaVIor, to curb any impulse that might set you .~part from the group. lure ~ut today we honor your differences. They have determined your fu-s.

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QUESTION S • 5. To Whom Should I Listen?

She began to describe this year's group and its variety of pers 1 . . though she singled no one out by name. She mentioned that ther ona il!es,

h hd · I . ewasone w o a smgu ar skills at caretaking, another who loved newchild "th al · •fi · d ren, One

WI unusu sc1enn c apntu e, and a fourth for whom physical lab b " J 0 rwas an o V!ous p easure. Jonas shifted in his seat, trying to recognize each refer-

ence as one _of his groupmates. The caretaking skills were no doubt those of Fiona, on hts left; he remembered noticing the tenderness with wh · h h had bathed the Old. Probably the one with scientific aptitude was Be

1 ~ s_ e

th I h h d d · · nJamm, e ma e w o a eV1Sed new, important equipment for the Rehabilitati Center. on

He heard nothing that he recognized as himself, Jonas. _ Finally the Chief Elder paid tribute to the hard work of her committee,

whteh had performed the observations so meticulously all year. The Com- rruttee of Elders stood and was acknowledged by applause. Jonas noticed Asher yawn slightly covering his mouth politely with his hand .

_Then , at last, the Chief Elder called number One to the stage, and the ASStgnments began.

Each armouncement was lengthy, accompanied by a speech directed at the new Twelve. Jonas tried to pay attention as One, smiling happily, re- ceived her Assignment as Fish Hatchery Attendant along with words of praise for her childhood spent doing many volunteer hours there, and her obvious interest in the important process of providing nourishment for the community.

Number One - her name was Madeline - returned, finally, amidst ap- plause, to her seat, wearing the new badge that designated her Fish Hatchery Attendant. Jonas was certainly glad that that Assignment was taken; he wouldn't have wanted it. But he gave Madeline a smile of congratulation.

When Two, a female named Inger, received her Assignment as Birth- mother, Jonas remembered that his mother had called it a job without honor. But he thought that the Committee had chosen well . Inger was a nice girl though somewhat lazy, and her body was strong. She would enjoy the three years of being pampered that would follow her brief training; she would give birth easily and well; and the task of Laborer that would follow would use her strength, keep her healthy, and impose self-discipline. Inger was smiling when she resumed her seat. Birthmother was an important job, 1f lacking in prestige.

Jonas noticed that Asher looked nervous . He kept turning his head and glancing back at Jonas until the group leader had to give him a silent chas- tisement, a motion to sit still and face forward.

Three, Isaac, was given an Assignment as Instructor of Sixes, which ob-

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1 ased him and was well deserved. Now th sly p e h ere were th 0ou e none of them ones t at Jonas would h 1.k ree Assign-g p • m1~- "'eJ1 h ve been a Birthmother, anyway, he realized . h not that he could a rt through the list in his mind, the possibl w,A t . amusement. He ..ied to so e sstgnments h u• d But there were so many he gave it up· and t at re- !llaifle ' rn He paid strict attention as his fri;nd anyway, now it was

h r's tu · went to the M e If-co nsciously beside the Chief Elder. stage and 1o0d se . kn s ,. 11 of us in the community ow and enjoy Asher • th ch· f

"" d h d ' e 1e Elderbe , her grinned an scratc e one leg with the other foot Th . · gan- nS f l · e audience chuckled so t Y· . .

•When the committee began to consider Asher's Assignment," she went on, •there were some poss1b1lmes . that were tmmediately discarded. Some ihatwould clearly .. not ha:e been ng~t for_A sher.

"For example, she said, sm1lmg , we did not consider for an instant des- . t·lllg Asher an Instructor of Threes." ,gna .

The audience howled with laughter. Asher laughed, too, looking sheep- ish but pleased at the special attention. The Instructors of Threes were in charge of the acquisition of correct language.

' In fac t," the Chief Elder continued, chuckling a little herself, · we even gave a little thought to some retroactive chastisement for the one who had been Asher's Instructor of Threes so long ago. At the meeting where Asher was discussed, we retold many of the stories that we all remembered from his days of language acquisition.

"Especially," she said , chuckling, "the difference between snack and smack. Remember, Asher?"

Asher nodded ruefully, and the audience laughed aloud. Jonas did, too. He remembered, though he had been only a Three at the time himself.

The punishment used for small children was a regulated system of smacks with the discipline wand: a thin , fl exible weapon that stung pain- fully when it was wielded. The Child care specialists were trained very care- ful ly in the discipline methods: a quick smack across the hands for a bit of minor misbehavior; three sharper smacks on the bare legs for a second of- fense.

Poor Asher, who always talked too fa st and mixed up words, even as a toddler, As a Three, eager for his juice and crackers at snacktime, he one day said 'smack" instead of "snack" as he stood waiting in line for the morning treat.

Jonas remembered it clearly. He could still see little Asher, wiggling wi t~ impatience in the line. He remembered the cheerful voice calling out,

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wa nt my smack! "

QUESTIONS 5. To Whom Should I Listen?

The other Threes, including Jonas, had laughed nervously. "Snack!" corrected. "You meant snack, Asher! " But the mistake had been mad· they precision of language was one of the most important tasks of e. And dren . Asher had asked for a smack. small chiJ_

The discipline wand, in the hand of the Childcare worker, whistled . came down across Asher's hands. Asher whimpered, cringed, and as It himself instantly. "Snack,· he whispered. corrected

But the next morning he had done it again. And again the i II . week. He couldn 't seem to stop, though for each lapse the discipli~ OWing came again. escalating to a series of painful lashes that left marks Ae wha

nd I all f; . . on s er's egs. Even tu y, or a penod of nme, Asher stopped talking altogeth h

he was a Three. er, w en "For a while." the Chief Elder said, relating the story, "we had a silen

Asher! But he learned.· t . She turned to Mm with a smile. "When he began to talk again, it was

With greater precmon. And now his lapses are very few. His corrections and apologies are very prompt. And his good humor is unfailing." The audience murmured in agreement. Asher's cheerful disposition was well known throughout the community.

"Asher." She lifted her voice to make the official announcement. "We have given you the Assignment of Assistant Director of Recreation."

She clipped on his new badge as he stood beside her, beaming. Then he turned and left the stage as the audience cheered. When he had taken his seat again , the Chief Elder looked down at him and said the words that she had said now four times, and would say to each new Twelve. Somehow she gave it special meaning for each of them .

"Asher," she said, "thank you for your childhood." The Assignments continued, and Jonas watched and listened, relieved

now by the wonderful Assignment his best friend had been given. But he was more and more apprehensive as his own approached. Now the new Twelves in the row ahead had all received their badges. They were fingering them as they sat, and Jonas knew that each one was thinking about the training that lay ahead. For some - one studious male had been selected as Doctor, a female as Engineer, and another for Law and Justice - it would be years of hard work and study. Others , like Laborers and Birthmothers, would have a much shorter training period.

Eighteen, Fiona , on his left, was called. Jonas knew she must be nervous; but Fiona was a calm female. She had been sitting quietly, serenely, through- out the Ceremony.

Even the applause, though enthusiastic, seemed serene when Fiona was

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th e important Assignment of Caretaker of th Old

iven I · 1 dh . e .!twas i g ensitive, gent e gir , an er smile was satisfied d per ect for su1 t:r seat beside him again. an pleased when she ,oo onas prepared ~,mself to walk to the stage when the a

Jth Chief Elder picked up the next folder and look d d pplause ended and e e own to the

all fo rward the next new Twelve. He was calm no h h' group

roe d b h d wt at isturnh d com•• He rook a eep reat a_n smoothed his hair with his hand a

•Twenty." he heard her voice say clearly. "Pierre." She k' d · d H d h h d

' •ppe me, Jonas ht stunne . a e ear wrong? No. There was a sudd h h . thoug, h h. enusmthe

crowd, and he kne:,V t at t e enttre community realized that the Chief Elder had moved from Eighteen to Twenty, leaving a gap. On his right, Pierre, with

3 starcled look, rose from his s~at and moved to the stage.

A mistake. She made a mistake. But Jonas knew, even as he had the thought, that she hadn't. The Chief Elder made no mistakes. Not at the Cere-

mony of Twelve. He felt dizzy, and couldn't focus his attention. He didn't hear what As-

signment Pierre rec_eived: and was only dimly aware of the applause as the boy returned, wearing _his ne~ badge. Then: Twenty-one. Twenty-two.

The numbers continued m order. Jonas sat, dazed, as they moved into the Thirties and then the Forties , nearing the end. Each time, at each an- nouncement, his heart jumped for a moment, and he thought wild thoughts. Perhaps now she would call his name. Could he have forgotten his own number? No. He had always been Nineteen. He was sitting in the seat

marked Nineteen. But she had skipped him . He saw the others in his group glance at him,

embarrassed, and then avert their eyes quickly. He saw a worried look on the face of his group leader.

He hunched his shoulders and tried to make himself smaller in the seat. He wanted to disappear, to fade away, not to exist. He didn't dare to turn and find his parents in the crowd. He couldn't bear to see their faces darkened

with shame. Jonas bowed his head and searched through his mind. What had he done

wrong?

Chapter Eight I d d the final Assignment;

The audience was clearly ill at ease. They app au e at d f •red enthusi- but the applause was piecemeal, no longer a crescen ° O um asm. There were murmurs of confusion.

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QUESTIONS • 5. To Whom Should I Listen?

J~nas moved his hands rog~ther, clapping, bu_t it _was an automa . meamngless gesture that he wasn t even aware of. His mind had shut tic, of the earlier emotions: the anticipation, excitement, pride, and ev~ut all happy kinship with his friends. Now he felt only humiliation and t n

th e

The Chief Elder waited until the uneasy applause subsided T~rror. spoke again. · en she

"'I know," she said in her vibrant, gracious voice, "that you are all cemed. That you feel I have made a mistake." con-

She smiled. The community, relieved from its discomfort very slight! by her benign statement, seemed to breathe more easily. It was very silen{

Jonas looked up. · "I have caused you anxiety," she said. "I apologize to my communit "

Her voice flowed over the assembled crowd. y. -We accept your apology, " they all uttered together. "Jonas ," she said, looking down at him, "I apologize to you in particular.

I caused you anguish." "I accept your apology," Jonas replied shakily. "Please come co the stage now." Earlier that day, dressing in his own dwelling, he had practiced the kind

of jaunty, self-assured walk that he hoped he could make to the stage when his turn came. All of that was forgotten now. He simply willed himself to stand, to move his feet that felt weighted and clumsy, to go forward, up the S[eps and across the platform until he stood at her side.

Reassuringly she placed her arm across his tense shoulders. ''Jonas has nor been assigned," she informed the crowd, and his heart

sank. Then she went on. "Jonas has been selected." He blinked. What did that mean? He felt a collective, questioning stir

from the audience. They, too, were puzzled. In a firm, commanding voice she announced, "Jonas has been selected

to be our next Receiver of Memory." Then be heard the gasp-the sudden intake of breath, drawn sharply in

astonishment, by each of the seated citizens. He saw their faces; rhe eyes widened in awe.

And still he did not understand. "Such a selection is very, very rare; the Chief Elder told the audience.

NOur community has only one Receiver. It is he who trains his successor. "We have had our current Receiver for a very long time ," she went on.

Jonas followed her eyes and saw that she was looking at one of the Elders. The Committee of Elders was sitting together in a group; and the Chief El-

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' eyes were now on one who sat in the midst but seemed od der s th rn It was a man Jonas had never noticed b t dly separate f~!ll al: e;,es. He was watching Jonas intently. e ore, a bearded man "'1th~, failed in our last selection," the Chief Elders -d I " vv e at so emnly "It

ago when Jonas was just a toddler. J will not d II · was enyears • H .b we ontheex .

1 ce because it causes us a tern le discomfort." pen- en Jonas didn't k.n~w what she ":as referring to, but he could sense the dis ,orn fort of the audience. They ~h1~ted .. uneasily in their seats. -

"We have not been hasty this ttme, she continued. "We could not afford other failure."

an "Sometimes," s~e ':ent ~n, speaking no~ in a lighter tone, relaxing the iension in the Aud1tonum, ~e are not entirely certain about the Assign- ments, even after the m~st pamstaking observations. Sometimes we worry (ha! the one assigned might not develop, through training, every attribuie necessary. Elevens are still chHdren, after all. What we observe as playful- ness and patience - the ~equireme~ts to beco~e Nurturer - could, with

aturity, be revealed as simply foohshness and indolence. So we continue : observe during training, and to modify behavior when necessary.

"But the Receiver-in-training cannot be observed, cannot be modified. That is stated quite clearly in the rules. He is to be alone, apart, while he is prepared by the -~urrent Receiver for the job which is the most honored in our commumty.

Alone? Apart? Jonas listened with increasing unease. "Therefore the selection must be sound. It must be a unanimous choice

of ,he Committee. They can have no doubts, however fleeting. If, during the process, an Elder reports a dream of uncertainty, that dream has the power 10 set a candidate aside instantly.

"Jonas was identified as a possible Receiver many years ~go. We have observed him meticulously. There were no dreams of uncertainty.

"He has shown all of the qualities that a Receiver must have." With her hand still firmly on his shoulder, the Chief Elder listed the

qualities. "Intelligence," she said. "We are all aware that Jonas has been a top student

throughout his school days. . "lnregrity" she said next. "Jonas has, like all of us, committed mmor

' . ,. th I we hoped, also, that tra nsgressions." She smiled at him. We expect a · 1 he would present himself promptly for chaStisement, and he has a ways

done so. da has ever undergone "Courage," she went on. "Only one of us here to Y . the most im-

the rigorous training required of a Receiver. He, of course, 15

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QUESTIONS • 5. To Whom Should I Listen?

portant member of the Committee: the current Receiver. It was he minded us , again and again, of the courage required. who re.

"Jonas ," she said, turning to him , but speaking in a voice that th . h " h · · · d f · 1 e entire community could ear, t e trammg requ1re o you mvo ves pain. Ph si

. .. Y ca] pam.

He felt fear flutter within him. "You have never experienced that. Yes, you have scraped your k . nees 10

falls from your bicycle. Yes, you crushed your finger in a door last ye ., Jonas nodded, agreeing, as he recalled the incident, and its accomar.

. . pany- mg misery.

"But you will be faced, now," she explained gently, "with pain of a ma _ nitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our exp!. rience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage. We cannot prepare you for that.

"But we feel certain that you are brave," she said to him. He did not feel brave at all. Not now. "The fourth essential attribute," the Chief Elder said, "is wisdom. Jonas

has not yet acquired that. The acquisition of wisdom will come through his training.

"We are convinced that Jonas has the ability to acquire wisdom. That is what we looked for.

"Finally, The Receiver must have one more quality, and it is one which I can only name, but not describe. I do not understand it. You members of the community will not understand it, either. Perhaps Jonas will, because the current Receiver has told us that Jonas already has this quality. He calls it the Capacity to See Beyond."

The Chief Elder lo <zked at Jonas with a question in her eyes . The audi- ence watched him, too. They were silent.

For a moment he froze , consumed with despair. He didn't have it, the whatever-she-had-said. He didn't know what it was. Now was the moment when he would have to confess, to say, "No, I don't. I can't," and throw him- self on their mercy, ask their forgiveness, to explain that he had been wrongly chosen, that he was not the right one at all.

But when he looked out across the crowd, the sea of faces , the thing happened again. The thing that had happened with the apple.

They changed. He blinked, and it was gone. His shoulders straightened slightly. Briefly

he felt a tiny sliver of sureness for the first time. She was still watching him. They all were.

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