Receiving from The Giver by Zachary

Receiving from The Giver by Zachary - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

I can’t remember my locker combination, nor who won the last Friday night football game, nor even the name of my tenth grade PE teacher, but the lessons learned from my high school reading list will forever resonate in my memory. In particularly, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, made an impression on me by reshaping the way I think and the way I view the world. Every high school student should have the opportunity to read this gem.

In the critical teenage years, one needs to be happy and positive. The best way to do this is by appreciating the good in the world. The Giver does a great job of helping focus on such and feel the excitement when finding the pleasures of life. Just as young Jonas, the main character of the book, experiences the joys, one must embrace these actions during the high school years.

Not everything was cupcakes and roses for young Jonas, and so it is in the real world. One must be able to recognize the bad and understand what role it plays. Happiness cannot be obtained until sadness has been experienced , nor peace enjoyed without an understanding of bustle.

The most important thing taught is that one must learn from the past and then take a personal initiative to blaze into the unknown future. High school is a time of finding one’s self and making decisions that will affect the future. By following Jonas’ example, knowledge can be acquired, internalized, and a path can be chosen and a goal completed!

Being able to see the good and bad in life is a quality that must be obtained for oneself and it’s not an easy task. In fact, there are many hard things that in this life, and The Giver prepares readers well for that undetermined forthcoming. Make sure this book stays in schools, it builds better individuals and leaders.