Words

Jonas’s community is an imaginary world because everything in it is perfect and organized. Therefore, many things would not be allowed. Two words that would not be acceptable in Jonas’s community would be passion and drugs. Passion would not be allowed, because there is no love or obsession in his community. Spouses are assigned, and even kids are assigned to their parents. When kids get to be twelve they are assigned to the job they will be responsible for until they become elders. After they get out of school and start to work full time, they will forget who their parents were and who their siblings were. They cannot be passionate about anything, because they lose things very fast. The other word that would not be found in a dictionary of Jonas’s community would be drugs. Drugs could damage somebody’s life and the people around them severely. If people in his community were drug abusers they would be released from their society. Therefore, the words passionate and drugs would not be allowed in Jonas’s world because they would make it inadequate. On the other hand, two words that would be suitable in Jonas’s community would be peace and assigned. Peace would be in the community’s vocabulary because everything in Jonas’s world is arranged and neat. The people in the society would never start a war, or even know how to start one. If they disturbed the community they would either have to apologize to everyone or be released. The other word that would be acceptable in Jonas’s world would be assigned. Every part of a person’s life in the community was assigned to them. They have no choice over anything that they do in their everyday life. They have to follow every rule that has been established. Even if you are a baby and do not know anything yet, you are assigned to a family. Thus, peace and assigned are words that would be a part of the vocabulary in Jonas’s community.
 * The Giver: Journal #2 **