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What are some challenges that show up in the rules/careers of the characters in The Giver?

One challenge a person has in a career is Jonas’s father.  Jonas’s father is a Nurturer, which means that he takes care of babies from the time they are born until they turn One and are assigned to families.  He has a little boy who is not growing fast enough.  Children are assigned numbers and not given names until they go to families, but Jonas’s father breaks the rules. 



"I feel a little guilty about this. But I did go in this afternoon and looked to see if this year's Naming list had been made yet. … I looked up number Thirty-six … because it occurred to me that it might enhance his nurturing if I could call him by a name. Just privately, of course, when no one else is around." (Ch. 2) 



Jonas is fascinated that his father would break a rule, but he does it because he is worried about the baby. Rules about babies not being assigned to families also cause his father problems because he does not feel that the baby is well cared for at night. He asks to take him home, and permission is granted. 


The problem is that babies who do not meet certain growth requirements are released.  Although Jonas’s father does not seem to realize the gravity of it, that the baby is being killed, he does not want to see him released and tries to prevent it. It is a particularly inhuman rule. 


When Jonas is chosen Receiver of Memory, he finds that the biggest challenge in his job is the rule that he can’t share his training.  He wants to talk to people, but he doesn’t think they could comprehend what he is talking about.  The memories are so different from the community’s experiences.  He also is flabbergasted at first by the rule that he can lie, but he comes to understand that one.  He lies to his parents when he asks them if they love him and they laugh at him. 



"Do you understand why it's inappropriate to use a word like 'love'?" Mother asked.


Jonas nodded. "Yes, thank you, I do," he replied slowly.


It was his first lie to his parents. (Ch. 16) 



Jonas is frustrated because he can’t explain to them that he does understand love, and love is real.  It has just been eliminated from his community, with all other strong feelings, in the name of Sameness.  His parents and sister will never understand real emotions, and will never have them.  Jonas feels quite alone.

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