Westerfeld argues that teenagers are fondly prone to attract to stories or novels that depicts systems breaking down under its own contradictions. Teenagers are in a stage where they must cope with adult responsibilities including school, work, yet they are not fully granted with such adult powers to gain respect. With the two extremes he describes, dystopia and apocalypse, signifies the “Uglies”. This meaning constitute how a society based on surveillance and control would have “zero tolerance. I agree with Westerfield’s argument. I believe that in today’s society, teenagers experiences luck in waking up every morning with a place to stay, eating approximately three meals a day and getting an education to better their future. As a result, teenagers would break away from a structured life filled with many rules, regulations and restrictions. In The Giver, we see the moment when Jonas breaks away from the norm of his community due to becoming the Receiver of Memory. He possesses more wisdom than anyone in his community but his youth makes it possible for him to receive the memories and learn from them. Reading these types of books gives teenagers a different aspect on life, one that they are not accustomed to, but arouses their suspicions and curiosity in such a way.
I love this new and very interesting perception. You think that we read these types of books because it’s so different than our own lives and it teaches how to be grateful. Reading The Giver myself made me realize how lucky I am not to follow the strict rules of the government. Jonas had a life that wasn’t worth living and it does teach me how grateful I am for my own life and the free choices I make everyday.
I find it an interesting concept that as youth, our curiosity is so eager that we automatically seek a way to deviate from the norm just to see where it would take us or how far we could go. I appreciate novels such as The Giver that gives youth the opportunity to escape and open our mind up to new ideas and experiences, even if only lived through a character in a book such as through Jonas. I think these types of novels are necessary for our coming of age experiences. They construct our minds into different ideas that makes us who we are today.