Fraustino believes that the struggles experienced by protagonists in distopian literature compel us not only because they give us “hope for humankind,” but also because we can relate to their struggles to stay true to their goodness and not succumb to the pervasive darkness of the world around them. I agree with this statement. I believe that a large part of the appeal in distopian literature is to demonstrate the struggle between giving in to the challenges that surround us–which often inspire the exaggerated evils in distopian worlds–and triumphing over them through resistance. Jonas experiences this throughout the novel, but in particular while he is escaping. We see him wishing for an easy way out of his situation–to return home and try to live a “normal” life. But due to his morals and newfound worldview, giving in to the distopian society would not even be what he could consider “living” any longer. His virtue dictates his actions and choices rather than his inherent desires.
This is an interesting perspective that I never originally thought of or read from other classmates – the idea that dystopian novels gives “hope for humankind,” and we can relate in such a way we stay true to their goodness and not succumb to the pervasive darkness of the world around them. I can say I also wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Once one has seen the other side of a way of life that’s better than it is now, one could hope and fight for a change as we can see with Jonas in The Giver how he ultimately runs away from his community in order to make life better for everyone. Very interesting idea.