Students,
Please respond to the following passage from The Giver. Does this passage offer any descriptive language that draws you in? Does it foreshadow something that will be revealed about Jonas and/or The Giver? What does it tell you about most members of the community? What is meant by the Depth that Jonas speaks of in the light eyes? I look forward to enjoying your insight.
Mirrors were rare in the community; they weren't forbidden, but there was no need of them, and Jonas had simply never bothered to look at himself very often even when he found himself in a location where a mirror existed. Now, seeing the newchild and its expression, he was reminded that the light eyes were not only a rarity but gave the one who had them a certain look -- what was it? Depth, he decided; as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet. He felt self-conscious, realizing that he, too, had that look.
I think that Jonas and Gabriel are from the same birth mother. They have different color eyes than the others in the community. By "depth", I think that Jonas means he can see deep into Gabriel. From Jonas's eyes, he can see certain things that others can't. When playing catch with Asher, using an apple, he said that the apple changed in midair. Only he saw this, because when he asked Asher if anything was strange, Asher didn't see anything. This probably happened because of his different colored eyes. Jonas can see different things because he has different eyes. No one else in his community has the same colored eyes, except for Gabriel. He can see depth in the baby's eyes. The passage said that he could see "down to the bottom, where things might lurk that hadn't been discovered yet." Jonas could see this in Gabriel's eyes. If Jonas has the same eyes as the baby, then people can see "deep" into Jonas, too.
ReplyDeleteJonas is saying that the baby's eyes are different that everyone else. That through the eyes you could see a story about the child. That there was more to it than just being a human baby. Gabriel is like an untold story and will eventually tell all of the secrets he holds.
ReplyDeleteI think that Jonas saw depth in Gabriel's eyes because both of their eyes were similar. His eyes may act like a telescope that can see through just the top layer of everything. When the apple changed, he was the only one who saw it, so his eyes allow him to see things that are invisible to others. Gabriel may have the same reaction to these things. With these 'lighter' eyes, they may be able to perceive things differently.
ReplyDeletei think that with the pale eyes, jonas and gabriel can see a different world. the descriptive language that drew me in was the "as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet." the pale eyes that only jonas, gabriel, and a few others posses says that most members of the community cant see with this "depth"
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lucas that Gabriel and Jonas are from the same birthmother. Also, I think that the previous Giver is from the same mother because he has gray eyes as well. I like the comparison of the clear river, it wants me to read more. I believe that Jonas, Gabriel, and the previous Giver can see things that nobody else with gray eyes can see, or feel.
ReplyDeleteI think that Jonas and Gabriel are not exactly from the same birthmother but from the same family because birthmothers only give birth for three years and Jonas and Gabriel are more than a few years apart. This shows that if there really are not many mirrors in the community, everybody is the same. No one needs to bother looking at themselves if they look the same as everyone else. I agree with Abby about the light eyes and I aslo think that these people with light eyes have the gift that the Giver had said was needed to become the Reciever of memories.
ReplyDeleteI think that Gabriel and Jonas have something fairly in common. Both of their eye colors reveal their personality and who they truly are. Their eye color makes them different from the rest, and shows that they are unique in their own ways. It clearly states that the members of the community are quite plain and bland, while Jonas and Gabriel are somewhat unique and special. I think that when it talks about the depth of the eyes, it means that they can see further beyond. I agree with the many people who commented that they may possibly be from the same birthmother.I like the descriptive language that talked about the river and the lurking waters too. I think that it reveals deep secrets about jonas and Gabriel that we will have to read on to find out
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lucas and Kari that Jonas and Gabriel were from the same birthmother. Also, there is a little girl with the same gray eyes. It is said that the eyes are rare in the passage. They also have a depth, as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet. I think all people with those eyes are or will be able to see beyond. Jonas and the current receiver already can because it tells how the apple, Fiona's hair, and the crowd changed. When it says things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet, it's like Gabriel is almost keeping a secret about seeing beyond. Because there are almost no mirrors, everybody is the same, like Lilliana said, but if Jonas looked into a mirror, he might see something different in there and maybe see deeper into himself.
ReplyDeleteI believe with everybody else that Jonas and Gabriel are from the same birth mother. By depth, I think that he means the ability to see the beyond, which is the same quality that Jonas has. Gabriel looks like he knows something that the others don't, and if Jonas was to look in a mirror, he would see the same thing. When he says that Gabriel's eyes look like the bottemo of a lake where things are that haven't been discovered yet, he means that Gabriel probably also has the capacity to see the beyond, and to see things that others don't. For example, Asher didn't notice anything different with the apple, so probably all people with light eyes can see what Jonas sees.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the past commenters in the sense that Gabriel and Jonas may be related, or from the same birthmother. I think that the light eyes contain the special trait of the capacity to see beyond. Because this is one of the traits of a giver, I believe that Gabriel could also be a giver and could see things like Jonas's transforming apple. When Jonas saw the depth in his eyes I think he made a connection to himself. I especially like the line," where things might lurk that hadn't been discovered. This gives a mystery of the people with light eyes might have a trait that has been there the whole time but nobody notices it.
ReplyDeleteI am not trying to take the easy way out, but I agree with everyone else. Gabriel, Jonas and that other person are probably related in which their like a perfect breed which follows the characteristics of the Giver. Also I can't decide whether or not they are from the same birth mother because an intelligent person wouldn't be a birth mother. However there is probably a significance between three children with light colored eyes, and a birth mother only able to produce three children.
ReplyDeleteI think that when he said depth, he meant that their was something special about them,but it is not on the surface, it is hidden deep in his soul, maybe it allows them to see the things "change".I also think that it fore shadows that their is going to be something about Gabriel and Jonas's eyes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of my peers in the sense that the pale eyes could possibly give the holder the ability to See Beyond. However, I disagree with the assumption that just because the have the same eye color means they have the same birthmother. My guess is that the "depth" in their eyes shows some hint of the previous community. The non-utopian world that there once was. I believe that the pale eyes are, not an absolute sign of a destined Giver, but a good hint. I believe that the few pale eyes there are, are the only things remaining to symbolize the diversity there once was. Changing the subject completely, I'm inferring that there aren't many mirrors, not only because people don't feel compelled to look at themselves, but also because the leaders of the community don't want people to point out their differences from others, which could lead to uprisings (much like wars started here over religion and appearance). The leaders want everyone feel the same.
ReplyDeleteI think that the pale eyes are a trait reserved for past, present, and future Receivers of Memory. Their secret lies in the bearer's ability to see beyond, marking them out as the new Receiver. They give the person a look of depth- as if there are many layers beneath the surface image. The pale eyes may also be a genetic phenomenon, occurring only when the leaders of the group of people insert the specific code into the DNA of a selected infant. They could also be leftovers from a non-eutopian era- the world as we know it today, perhaps. Jonas stumbles upon his unique ability when it flies in his face- literally. As an apple hurtles through the air during a game of catch, Jonas sees something different about it, but only for a second. My best guess is that he is beginning to see colors, since apples are red. However, I have excluded the possibility of Gabriel, Jonas, and the little girl with the pale eyes being from the same family. The difference between their ages is too great, and birthmothers only give birth for a period of three years before being sent off as laborers. As with almost everyone else, the language that drew me in was the comparison of the pale eyes to the waters of a clean, clear river. The enigma of the pale eyes is extremely interesting, and I would like to find out more.
ReplyDeleteI think that the "depth" of the eyes means that the eyes are extremely clear and dull. In this context, dull means not shiny. Also, I think it is possible that the "Eyes of Depth" are linked to things changing. What the changed object looks like, though, is unclear. Very mysterious. Here's a random thought, but maybe the people with gray eyes are demigods and are sons and daughters of Athena, since she had clear, grey eyes. Just a thought, that's all. :)
ReplyDeleteNICOLE M.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lilliana that Jonas and Gabriel could not have been born from the same birth mother. I do think that the eye color they share has something to do with being the receiver, and eventually, the giver. When Jonas saw the apple and the audience change, I think it has to do with his eyes as well. Most of the people in the community are quite bland, they have personalities, but small ones. However, Jonas’s eyes might help him reach into himself and find his full personality. They could also help him feel the feelings of others.
I agree with everyone else and think that Jonas and Gabriel have the same birth mother. The eyes were contained by their mother and was a rarity. The eyes contain knowledge and wisdom. They also have the ability to see beyond. The eyes are not only different then everyone elses, but they resemble something special that no one knows about or if they do, we haven't read about it. The eyes may help Jonas in his training and let him to withstand some of the pain he receives. Whatever it is, the eyes mean something, and even though Jonas may not know it, the people who read the book may get the idea of what they do.
ReplyDeleteI think the same way as everyone else that Gabriel and Jonas are from the same birthmother yet I am not sure for a birth mother only gives birth three times and Gabriel and Jonas are ten years apart. I think that "depth" in Gabriel's eyes means that he can feel what Gabriel is feeling. I think it will help him with learning colors later. - Rachel
ReplyDeleteI think that Jonas and Gabriel's eyes are similar and very special, and that there is great power in them. I also think that Jonas and Gabriel's birthmother may have been the same or maybe they were related, since Jonas and Gabriel are many years apart. I believe that Jonas's eyes will help him in his assignment as the Receiver of Memory. The "depth" that Gabriel and Jonas have in their eyes is power to see other things that other members in the community cannot. This is why they are different from most members in the community. The people in the community never really need a mirror, since they know they are the same as the others. Jonas, though, would probably look at himself in a mirror often to see that he really is different, and has more wisdom than the others, and is special. When Gabriel is older, he will probably realize this too. I also agree with everyone, but especially with Connor, in that his eyes might help with the pain he will receive. Jonas's eyes may be different, but they are also special, and the same goes for his assignment.
ReplyDeleteIn this snippet, what the author I think is trying to convey is that, although neither Gabriel or Jonas know it, their destinies are intwined. This look of "depth" possibly could also suggest that Gabriel might be the next receiver of memory and Jonas would have to relinquish the memories that the Giver had given to him when he was 12. Perhaps the previous Receiver on some subconscious level selects another Receiver with the same light eyes knowing (not consciously) that they to may have the ability to see beyond and undertake the great task and bear the burden of receiving and carrying the memories. In that moment when Jonas looked into Gabriel's eyes there was a connection between both of them and simply by doing this, Jonas would know who the next receiver of memories would be. By this I mean that although Jonas himself has barely started his own assignment he knows who to go to for the next Receiver. I also think that the light eyes are an emblem of defiance perhaps against sameness. That although scientists have constrained the emotion, feeling, color, weather, and all else from the community, there is a resistance in the light eyes that can be supported by the fact of how rare occurring these types of eyes are. Usually there is a small uprising against a larger power in a resistance, and the defying light eyes would fit perfectly into that. :P
ReplyDeleteI think that Jonas and Gabriel are distantly related and that the pale eyes are a sign that the person may be a Receiver of Memories. I also think that they may have the capacity for alot of knowledge and that pale eyes will see what all eyes in the community can't, such as old memories passed down from receiver to receiver as well as colors. I basically agree with what everyone else has said.
ReplyDeleteJonas and Gabriel's eyes are much different than those of the other members of the community. Using descriptive language, Jonas describes that he and Gabriel have depth in their eyes, meaning that they show lots of their feelings through them. When Jonas says that it was like looking through clear water and finding new things lurking at the bottom, he means that he could easily see what Gabriel's thoughts were. Other members of the community have dull eyes that do not reveal anything. As you look into Jonas' and Gabriel's eyes you can tell they are special. As Nicole said, they probably have something to do with the changing of the apple and the audience. Also, I agree with the people who mentioned that the pale eyes are a sign of a future receiver of memories. The giver also has pale eyes.
ReplyDeleteAs Lilliana stated earlier, it is impossible for Jonas and Gabriel to be from the same birthmother, let alone Jonas and the Giver. They could be distantly related, but I believe that the same their pale eyes of depth signifies that these people SEE with more depth. If their mothers had the same depth in their eyes, then wouldn't they have been chosen as receivers of memory? The depth that Jonas sees is wisdom and curiosity. It suggests that there is one tiny, almost invisible part of him that knows there could be, and longs for, more. More to live for, more to life. This is the undiscovered part that the Giver might help to awake in him. This is the part in him that the other, shallow members of the community do not have. This passage uses descriptive language and literary devices to shed new light on Jonas and provoke questions in the mind of the reader.
ReplyDeleteJonas has seen three people in his community with pale eyes, himself, Gabriel, and a young girl probably about a Five. When Jonas decides that the similarities between him and the other young children are "depth," that means that there is more to be found in the eyes of the different. Following that sentence, the author states, "as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn't been discovered yet." This also proves my point, saying that there is something unusual, yet vast behind the light, pale eyes of others. Most of the citizens in Jonas' community have dark and dull eyes, so it is possible that the three children could have the same birthmother or they might be closely related. The knowledge behind these light and deep eyes is yet unknown.
ReplyDeleteJEWELYN P.
ReplyDeletethe passage really describes how Jonas would be thinking if he were to look at himself in a mirror, and it also says, " as if one were looking into clear water of a river." really describes what his eyes look like. This passage show that Jonas never really thought about how he looked, and when he saw Gabriel, then he really thought about how the new child's eyes looked, realizing that his eyes probably looked the same. i think that this foreshadows that Jonas is special, because not many people with blue eyes are in the community, and that maybe the giver and Jonas both have blue eyes. most members in the community may not look at themselves in the mirror because since everyone is supposed to be the same, they don't really need to look at themselves.
The "depth" that Jonas is speaking about is that when you would look into someones eyes, depending on how they look at you, you can tell if they are either angry, sad, etc. also, when he looked into the child's eyes, he could have seen wisdom, and maybe seen deeper than he had seen in others.
RAVIN R.
ReplyDeleteI think that the question does have a lot of descriptive language like when Jonas says how rare the light eyes are. I also think that he foreshadows something about Jonas. Maybe Gaberial and Jonas are different but it is hard to be different in his world or maybe they do have the same birthmother or not. I don't think it tells much about the Giver. What the passage tells you about most of the people in the community is that they mostly have dark colored eyes not light like Jonas's. I think Jonas's eyes will help him with finding his personality and help him feel what others feel.Just like Nicole said.
In his description of the new child's eyes, the author uses descriptive words comparing them to clear water where interesting thing might lurk. It made me feel like there were secrets that were to be discovered.It foreshadows Jonas's ability to see beyond. The members of the community seem less aware about their lives. They look more alike and conform to the rules of the society. The depth in the light eyes reflects more thought and understanding.
ReplyDeleteIn this part of this book, the descriptions become an analayzation of the bland type of a eutopian society. when they tell that there are no mirrors, the reason of facial or any other type of styling would be out of the matter. The new eyes, though, bring a whole new concept, bringing anew a earlier subject about gabriel. Because Jonas is the receiver Gabriel is the same eye wise. The descriptive descision or choice is very nice and delicate to the touch. :)
ReplyDeleteB.J. Y.
ReplyDeleteI think that only people with the look of depth in their eyes are able to receive visions like Jonas does in he job as the Receiver of memories. It says that the Giver has the pale eyes just like Jonas and little Gabe. I think that the pale eyes of depth runs through line of Receiver of Memories.
STUDENTS,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your responses. I especially appreciate your comments regarding the thoughts of your classmates. Well done.
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