Please respond to one of the following topics in a 5-paragraph Standard College Essay:

• Topic 1:

Despite the community’s emphasis on precise language, language is often used as a tool for social control in The Giver. Choose three (or more) words used in the society (examples are "release," "newchild," etc.) that distort or conceal the meaning of the words in order to promote the rules and conventions of the community and describe how their use affects the behavior and attitudes of the people in the community. And, finally, what do you believe Lowry is trying to offer her young-adult readers by this exploration of semantics?

• Topic 2:

Why do you think Lowry chose to leave the ending of her book so inconclusive? Do you think this frustrates young readers? Why or why not? Be specific.

What I am looking for: A successful essay must include the following elements:

1. A clear, direct thesis statement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

2. Three body paragraphs, each beginning with a clear, direct topic sentence (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

3. A concluding paragraph. (The conclusion of your essay summarizes your opinions and leaves the reader with a final thought. It is often a good idea to restate or refer to your thesis in the conclusion to bring the reader back to your main point.)

4. A defensible point of view. In other words, when writing about literature, there are rarely wrong answers as long as you can support your thesis with evidence from the text.

5. The essay will be relatively free of grammatical errors, and there will be few if any spelling errors. (We all make mistakes, but too many errors weaken your response, so write carefully.) 6. No "you" or "your" on your exam . 7. Results are usually posted within one week of the due date. Format of your essay: Your essay will be about 600 words in length (no more than 750 words), and it should be double-spaced. Don’t forget to give it a title. For your name and class information, use MLA (Modern Language Association) format (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. So, in the upper left-hand corner of your paper, type your name and class information like this: Joe Smith (jsmith1011@student.cccd.edu) Professor Leighton English 143 12 January 2015 Submit Your Final Essay This assignment is locked until May 1 at 12am. Rubric E143 Essay Rubric E143 Essay Rubric Criteria Ratings Pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEssay addresses the assigned topic and uses specific examples from the text to illustrate the thesis statement. 70.0 pts Meets expectations 56.0 pts Above average 35.0 pts Competent 1.0pts Below Expectations 70.0 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCorrect spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 25.0 pts Few, if any, errors 13.0 pts Some errors 0.0 pts Too many errors 25.0 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMLA format for name and class informaton is correct. 5.0 pts Correct 0.0 pts Incorrect 5.0pts Total Points: 100.0 PreviousNext The Giver I will say that the whole concept of memory is one that interests me a great deal. I’m not sure why that is, but I’ve always been fascinated by the thought of what memory is and what it does and how it works and what we learn from it. And so I think probably that interest of my own and that particular subject was the origin, one of many, of The Giver. — Lois Lowry The Giver may be familiar to you. It won many awards: A Newbery Medal Winner, an ALA Notable Book for Children, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, a Booklist Editors’ Choice, and a Regina Medal Winner. It is a typical reading selection for American middle school students, probably because the central character, Jonas, is about to turn 12, and when he becomes a 12-year-old, he is given a rather huge responsibility. Aside from the story itself, what is particularly interesting about The Giver is Lowry’s use of language. Lowry uses simple, direct language with very few figures of speech–consider that our modern-day spoken language is riddled with figures of speech (language that is not straightforward, not literal, such as "I’m starving" or "This class is killing me," etc.). The simplicity of language is perfect for Lowry’s audience, but it also conforms to the "precision of language" required in Jonas’ community. Major Themes of The Giver • The Significance of Memory Lowry shows that without memory, there is no pain, but without memory, genuine happiness is not possible either. For example, the community in The Giver is spared the memories of all past suffering, but this eliminates the possibility of pleasant memories as well. (For those of you who have studied human memory in psychology courses, you’ll recognize the dilemma that we all share: while we may want to forget our painful experiences (abuse, failure, trauma, etc), we don’t want to forget our happy ones (childhood, family, love, etc.). In other words, as the expression goes, "You have to take the good with the bad." Without one, there cannot be the other. • The Importance of the Individual/Beware of Conformity The Giver offers a community in which every person and his or her experience is precisely the same, and competition has been eliminated in favor of a community in which everyone works only for the common good. Yet The Giver is the story of Jonas’ transition into an individual, maturing from a child completely dependent upon his community into a young man trying to make sense of what he has been taught. Lowry therefore shows her readers the value of diversity (in thought as well as action) over conformity and homogeneity.