Forced Euthanasia In The Giver

522 Words3 Pages
Should any society allow forced euthanasia? In the novel, The Giver, Lowry presents a world where all people live a sheltered and orderly life enforced by very strict rules. This society is a place where if someone breaks the rules or is different, then they are released. The main character, Jonus, discovers what happens when someone is released. When someone is released, they are killed by lethal injection. This killing is forced euthanasia and Lowry illustrates that forced euthanasia is wrong. Lowry demonstrates this when Jonus asks one of the old about release, through his reaction when the innocent twin was killed, and when he took Gabriel. Initially, Lowry shows that forced euthanasia is immoral when he asks Larrissa about the release of one of the old. In this scene, Jonas was in the house of the old, Larrissa, bathing and while he was doing that he asks her about the release of…show more content…
Then he steals his father’s bike and rides away from his community as well. He broke three important rules of his society “and he had taken Gabriel, too.” (166). Breaking any one of these rules would have caused his release. By taking Gabe he not only commits a major transgression but also expresses his love towards the new child. This shows that Jonus thinks that killing Gabe is horribly wrong and wants to prevent it even though means he has to leave the community earlier and is less prepared. Lowry shows through her book that forced euthanasia is immoral and unnecessary. This topic is important to our world today, it is even on the California ballot this year as Proposition 34, where people will be voting on whether to end the death penalty and instead have those who would be executed instead be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As Gary Bauer said, “ Human life has dignity at every age, the taking of innocent human life is always
Open Document