Jonas is twelve years old and has just been appointed to be the Receiver of Memory. He works with the Giver, who teaches him about Sameness, which is what the community calls their way of life. It's how the community is able to live without deep emotional, physical, or mental pain—and it all hinges on someone bearing all of these burdens for everyone else. The first time Jonas learns about Samenessis after he receives...
Jonas is twelve years old and has just been appointed to be the Receiver of Memory. He works with the Giver, who teaches him about Sameness, which is what the community calls their way of life. It's how the community is able to live without deep emotional, physical, or mental pain—and it all hinges on someone bearing all of these burdens for everyone else. The first time Jonas learns about Sameness is after he receives his first memory about going down a snowy hill on a sled. Jonas asks why they can't have snow and the Giver explains it to Jonas as follows:
"Climate Control. Snow made growing food difficult, limited the agricultural periods. And unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. It wasn't a practical thing, so it became obsolete when we went to Sameness" (83-84).
Climate Control is just one aspect of Sameness, which overflows into all other realms of life, such as families, jobs, behavior, and anything else Jonas can think of. With every gain, though, there is a sacrifice. As Jonas starts to understand what the community sacrifices each day to gain a life of Sameness, he assesses its value more and more. The main conflict in the story is, in fact, Jonas vs. Sameness. Jonas must first discover his nemesis, which is camouflaged within his home, family, school and friends, and then decide if it is worth keeping around for another lifetime. If Jonas fully accepts his duties as the new Receiver, that's exactly what he would be doing—perpetuating Sameness for at least his lifetime, until another Receiver in Training is called.
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