To+Break+or+Not+to+Break

__ The Giver __ Polished Journal In life, there are certain rules that can be broken and others that cannot. Sometimes it is easy to tell whether a specific rule can be broken; other times, it is not. And sometimes, whether or not a rule can be broken, there is also the matter of whether that rule should be broken. Three ways to tell whether a rule can or cannot be broken are the rule’s importance, the consequences of breaking the rule, and the situation of the person making the decision. The importance of a rule is the first way of knowing or deciding whether the rule can be broken. If a rule is very important to a person, people, or society, it is best not to break it. If a rule is of little importance, it can most likely be broken (even though one is better off not breaking the rules at all). For example, in the book __The Giver__ by Lois Lowry, Jonas’s father breaks a small rule about looking at the list of names of the newborns before the naming ceremony. The narrator says, “It didn’t seem a terribly important rule, but the fact that his father had broken a rule at all awed him” (12). In this quote, the narrator states how the importance of a rule can determine whether or not it can be broken. Another way of determining this is by looking at the consequences. Looking at the consequences of breaking a rule is the second way of knowing or deciding whether the rule can be broken. If the consequences of breaking a rule are severe, the smart thing to do is not to break it. If there are very mild consequences, then one is more likely to break that rule (though it is still not a good idea to break the rules). For example, in __The Giver__, a Pilot-in-Training makes a wrong turn and flies over the community, breaking a rule with a severe consequence. The narrator says, “NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE WILL BE RELEASED, the voice had said, followed by silence. There was an ironic tone to that final message, as if the speaker had found it amusing; and Jonas had smiled a little, though he knew what a grim statement it had been” (2). This quote tells about the awful, severe consequence that the Pilot-in-Training faces for breaking a rule. The pilot should have thought about the consequences before breaking the rule. Another way of determining whether or not to break a rule is by analyzing the situation. Analyzing the situation of the person making the decision of whether or not to break a rule is the third way of knowing or deciding whether the rule can be broken. If one is in a life-death situation where breaking a rule could save a person or valuable thing, then it is probably best to break the rule. If one is in a situation where he just wants to break a rule because it is fun or makes things easier, then the rule should generally not be broken (remember, rule breaking should always be avoided if possible). For example, every evening after dinner, it is a rule that everyone in the family must share their feelings. One evening, Jonas really did not want to share his feelings; but, being that this was not a life-death situation, Jonas told his feelings as was required. The narrator says, “Jonas sighed. This evening he almost would have preferred to keep his feelings hidden. But it was, of course, against the rules” (9). From this quote, one can see that the situation one is in is a major part in determining whether or not to break a rule. Even though it is not always easy to judge whether or not it is okay to break a rule, the rule’s importance, the consequences of breading the rule, and the situation the person making the decision is in are the major ways of determining whether it is okay or not. It is never the best idea to break a rule; but keep in mind, there are almost always exceptions.

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