In Dystopian Literature, characters tend to get curious a numerous amount of times for many reasons. In The Giver by Lois Lowry, the main character Jonas, who is 12-year-old who is supposed to get a job assigned. Instead, he is selected for the job of the receiver, who maintains all the memories. Throughout the story, he discerns that these memories should be given to everyone and not locked away, since there are many secrets and wants to know all.
Dickie, from Examination Day by Henry Slesar, is 12 and has to take an exam so the government can see how smart he is, but his IQ is too high because of his curiosity of asking a vast amount of questions, as a result of curiosity he was killed by the government. Both characters have a lot of curiosity which is caused because of limited knowledge, being different and separate from others, and also because of how their world around them is shaped, especially by their laws. The reasons are similarities between both characters, in both stories.
Dickie and Jonas’ curiosity are induced because of the limited knowledge they are supposed to have, because of the government’s limit on knowledge. For instance, in Examination Day, Henry Slesar wrote: “… intelligence quotient is above the government regulation, according to Rule 84 section 5 of the New code... whether you wish his body interred by the government, or would you prefer a private burial place?… “(Slesar 3). With this is mind the reader can interpret that the government doesn’t want any smart people in their country since they are killing all the smart people with a high IQ.
Also, the government wants everyone to have limited knowledge, and not to have more than the average amount. the reader can elucidate this because the government killed Dickie for having a high IQ. With this in mind, the reader can see that this is similar to what is written in The Giver, “The memories had fallen behind him now, escaping from his protection to return to the people of his community... “(Lowry 176). Another, the quote from the Giver is “… I don’t know. They acted like… like… ” Animals? ” Jonas suggested.
He laughed. … Neither child knew what the word meant, exactly, but it was often used to describe someone uneducated or clumsy, someone, who did not fit in”(Lowry 5). This reveals that the people in this community are not allowed to have that much knowledge and are limited to only having a certain amount. the reader can easily interpret this because as the reader is reading the book, and as the reader come upon the scene where they call children from other community animals, but it is not actually the right definition of animals.
Since they don’t know the exact definition it means that there was limited knowledge, such as not teaching them the right definition of words. Whenever characters have limited knowledge on certain exploits like education there is an immense amount of curiosity mixed into it, because they have the need to know more. Dickie and Jonas’ curiosity is not only provoked because of their limited knowledge, but because of the world surrounding them. In Examination Day Henry Slesar wrote “… What makes it green, though?
The grass? ” “… Dad, he said, how far away is the sun? ‘” (Slesar 1)When the dad answered back, he lied to Dickie, because he was afraid that Dickie would have too much knowledge and become too smart, as a result the government would kill him. As well as the world around Dickie was shaped that way that if a person became too smart they would be killed. This is related to The Giver because Lois Lowry has written: “… precision of language was to ensure that unintentional lies were never uttered” (Lowry 71).
When the author wrote this, she sent a message that trying to tell us that the world is shaped in a way with a multiple amount of rules and they have to follow them. Consequently, the reason for both character’s curiosity is secrets and rules that are in the power of the world around them or the government. Finally, Dickie and Jonas’ curiosity is shaped by their differences from other people. In Examination Day by Henry Slesar wrote “… intelligence quotient is above the government regulation… ” and “… What makes it green, though?
The grass? “(Slesar 1)Which means that he is smarter than other people in that world, as well as he is curious, curiosity was one of the reasons that induced him to become smarter. Curiosity also caused Dickie to acquire a higher IQ score, which also proves that he is different from other people. This is affiliated with what is written in The Giver, where Lois Lowry wrote “In a firm, commanding voice she announced, “Jonas has been selected to be our next Receiver of Memory” Then he heard a gasp… ” “He did not feel brave at all.
Not now. The fourth essential attribute,” the Chief Elder said, “is wisdom… ” (Lowry 60). This shows us that Jonas is different from everyone else and since he is the only one with these memories he is curious about why not everyone has them, which is caused for because of this characteristic. In conclusion, curiosity is an important characteristic in Dystopian Literature, and it is the reason of why the story is compulsive in making readers associated with it, since the whole story is about the character’s strong desire to know the secrets and exploits that are limited.
Dickie and Jonas both incline to have the need to know more. In The Giver Jonas was interested in knowing about all the secrets that was hidden from everyone. In Examination Day Dickie was constantly asking questions toward his dad wanting to know more. Both of these texts prove that curiosity is the main attribute in Dystopian Literature where the whole plot surrounds it. Both characters contain this inquisitive nature because of limited knowledge, being different and separate from others, and Lastly because of how their world around them is shaped, especially by their laws.
