CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

4.1. SURVEILLANCE ON THE NOVEL

Literally, surveillance means as watching over, it is an everyday practice that human

beings have been done routinely. There are two types of surveillance; the actual surveillance

and the panoptic surveillance. The actual surveillance is the garnering and processes of

personal information to regulate, control, manage and enable human individual and

collective behavior (Hier, Sean P; Greendberg, Josh;, 2007, p. 381). This actual surveillance

is usually performed by the state to control the society. According to Foucault, the panoptic

surveillance is achieved as the actual surveillance been performed by the state. He argues

that “those who are constantly under observation and discipline develop a self-regulating

mechanism and they become the principle of his own subjection, playing both the roles of

the observer and the object of observation” (Foucault, 1995, p. 203).

In Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver, surveillance has been employed by the state to the

society. The society (singular) in this novel are(plural) constantly observed and controlled in

every aspect in their lives. For example, the used of Loudspeaker, all homes and public

spaces in the society have speakers that always turning on. The function of the loudspeaker

is not only used as a tool to inform what the people should and should not be done, it is also

used as the ear of the committee; they record everything that is said by the citizens. The

results(singu) of this action into the society are (plural) people follow every order that the

state give to them without questioning it because they realize that the state will know if they

are not following the order.

4.2. ACTUAL SURVEILLANCE

To perform the actual surveillance in the society, Foucault argues that the state needs

Discipline because discipline is about the power to control people to reach the desired

outcome. He stated that discipline(singu) are(plural) general formulas of domination, a

powerful agency used to govern people’s lives “to produce subjected and practiced bodies,

docile bodies” that can be “manipulated, shaped,” and “trained” for the benefit of the state.

Furthermore, he describes that discipline can be done within four technique(s); the art of

distribution, the control of activity, the organization of geneses and the composition of

forces.

a. The (A)art of Distribution

The first technique of discipline, the art of distribution, states that discipline proceeds

from the distribution of individuals in space. To employ this spatial arrangement of

individuals, firstly, individuals are placed in an enclosed space. The second step, each

individual classified and placed in each space. This act of partitioning in the chase of The

Giver; each members of the society are distributed spatially according to their stage of life

and their function in society. In The Giver, the distribution according to their stage of life

indicates that the elderly live(s) in the House of Old as Jonas mention that “The Old of the

community did not ever leave their special place, the House of the Old, where they were so

well cared for and respected” (Lowry, 1993, p. 123), while the newborns inhabit in the

Nurturing Center before being given to families (double verb?). The distribution according

to function means that adults have specific positions and jobs that they have been ordered

before, such as Nurturer, Birthmother, and Receiver. The partitioning aims to make
individual’s identity can be determined by where they are located(subjectnya apa?). As

Foucault notes that it is a procedure against desertion, vagabond and concentration which

aim ”to establish presences and absences, to know where and how to locate individuals, to

set up useful communications, to interrupt others, to be able at each moment to supervise the

conduct of each individual, to asses it, to judge and to calculate its qualities or merits”

(Foucault, 1995, p. 143).

This technique of distribution will lead an individual becoming to an interchangeable

element. The value of the individual is defined by the position of individual has in society or

y the goods that they can produce, but no matter what the position, the individual can easily

replace if they cannot acquired their task(double verb). In The Giver, the interchangeability

of individuals becomes evident in the Murmur-of-Replacement Ceremony during the

Naming Ceremony, where children are given their names and family units. In that ceremony,

a family unit is given a male child to compensate for the child the unit had lost due to an

accidental drowning(double v3). The child is acknowledge as “a replacement child” (Lowry,

1993, p. 44), and given the same name as the drowned one, Caleb. Jonas comments during

the Replacement Ceremony that “it was as if the first Caleb were returning” (Lowry, 1993,

p. 44) indicates that the individual value of original Caleb is denied as the gap left behind

him is assigned filled with another child. Thus, there is no special or unique value in

individuals but they can replace as needed.

b. The Control of Activity

The second technique of discipline states that activities and interest which

(are)beneficial to the society are encouraged by the ruling parties while the unproductive of

activities and interest are discouraged. In the society depicted in Lowry’s novel, the state
controls the everyday activity of the society. Every house in this society has The Book of

Rules which contains the rules for every individual in the society. The society are obediently

followed the order which written in the Book of Rules because if they’re(they are) not

following the rules there will be a punishment, and the worse punishment in this society is

“released”. For this society, to be “released” is awful, a terrible punishment, an

overwhelming statement of failure which indicates that they are not fit in to the society.

In The Giver, the state(sg) are(plu) controlling the everyday life of the society ,even

for choosing spouses, or to have a child, they(who?) have to applied it to the state before the

state approved. The rule to build a family unit is as Jonas’ mother mention “Two children--

one male, one female--to each family unit” (Lowry, 1993, p. 8). Another example of the rule

in this society is that children are not allowed to ride bicycle before they reach age

nine(why?). It was written very clearly in the rules but this rule is almost as always being

broke by the children as the elder brothers and sisters had secretly taught the younger

ones(past or present). Actually, according to the Book of Rules, there will be a punishment

for individual who break the rules. But in this case, as mention in the composition of forces

that the interests of each individual are subordinated to the good of the community, the state

sees that this act will give an advantage to the progress of the children and also benefit to the

state. The children do not have to waste time to learn how to ride bicycle and their time will

be more efficient and they will learn more thing in their volunteers’ hours.

Some rituals in the society is another example of how the state controlling their

activity. These rituals are also included in the Book of Rules, every individuals in this

society has to do it. In those rituals, which are the evening telling of feelings and the

morning ritual, the society (sg) are (plu)shared their feelings and dreams. The function of
those rituals is not only benefit to the society as they can shared each other feelings, it also

benefit to the state as it will give the state information of the society because the state can

hear it too from the loudspeaker which occupied in every houses in this society.

Besides the book of rules, the state also uses the Loudspeaker to maintain order and

guide to the society. The loudspeakers are used to remained people of proper behavior, the

rules and regulations: “ATTENTION. THIS IS A REMINDER TO FEMALES UNDER

NINE THAT HAIR RIBBONS ARE TO BE NEATLY TIED AT ALL TIMES” (Lowry,

1993, p. 22), ATTENTION THIS IS A REMINDER TO MALE ELEVENS THAT

OBJECTS ARE NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE RECREATION AREA AND

THAT SNACKS ARE TO BE EATEN, NOT HOARDED (Lowry, 1993, p. 22), or

“ATTENTION. A REMINDER THAT STIRRINGS MUST BE REPORTED IN ORDER

FOR TREATMENT TO TAKE PLACE” (Lowry, 1993, p. 37)(kenapa capital?).

The reminders of the rules are broadcasted several times a day. Sometimes they are a

response to a current topic or rule. For example, in the opening scene when Jonas

remembers a time when an aircraft flying over the community, the society were doing their

activity until the loudspeaker announce to LEAVE YOUR BICYCLES WHERE THEY

ARE (Lowry, 1993, p. 2) and Jonas, “instantly, obediently, dropped his bike on its side on

the path behind his family's dwelling and he had run indoors and stayed there, alone”

(Lowry, 1993, p. 2). The effect of this announcement is not only to Jonas but also to the

other society as Jonas mention when he “looking through the front window, he had seen no

people: none of the busy afternoon crew of Street Cleaners, Landscape Workers, and Food

Delivery people who usually populated the community at that time of day. He saw only the

abandoned bikes here and there on their sides; an upturned wheel on one was still revolving
slowly” (Lowry, 1993, p. 2) The explanation followed within minutes explained “that a

Pilot-in-Training had misread his navigational instructions and made a wrong turn” (Lowry,

1993, p. 2). It is strange when something unusual happened(s) in a society, usually they will

feel anxious, they will start to wonder and sometime they will come to the scene(past or

present?). There was no such thing on that occasion, the citizen just obediently followed the

order that the Loudspeaker had announce.

Another example is when Jonas had his first stirrings; he remembered that there was

a reference to the stirrings in the Book of Rules (Lowry, 1993, p. 37). The Loudspeaker also

mentions “ATTENTION. A REMINDER THAT STIRRINGS MUST BE REPORTED IN

ORDER FOR TREATMENT TO TAKE PLACE”. At first, Jonas has been worried as the

Loudspeaker mention that it must be reported and there will be some further treatment. But

it is not necessary to report it to the state directly as his mother said that he is already

reported it through the ritual of dream telling. This occasion is the example of the function

of the Loudspeaker which not only as a tool to inform what the people should and should not

be done, it also used as the ear of the committee.

c. The organization of geneses

The third technique, the organization of geneses stated that each individual are

systemically trained through tasks or exercises to increasing their abilities to prepare them to

be a part of society and able to effectively contribute to the society. The example of this

technique in The Giver is the education system. The system has several milestones set for

each stage of the childhood development. At the age of three, children are trained in the

acquisition of language skills and the precise use of language. At Fours, Fives, and Sixes,

children learn interdependence; at this stage, children all wore jackets that fastened down the
back so that they would have to help each other (Lowry, 1993, p. 40). At the age of seven

kids were(v3?) given the jacket with its row of large buttons. The front-buttoned jacket was

the first sign of independence, the first very visible symbol of growing up (Lowry, 1993, p.

41).

At nine, they are presented bicycle which would be the powerful emblem of moving

gradually out into the community, away from the protective family unit (Lowry, 1993, p.

41). And also, at the age of eight, nine and ten, kids are starting their volunteer hour which

will determined in the assignment when they will received it at the age of twelve. The

advantages of this system which start at the age three to twelve are not only to produce

individually characterized and useful to the state, it is also make each individual can easily

observed and controlled. As Foucault mention that the organization of geneses can make

“the possibility of a detailed control and a regular intervention (of differentiation,

correction, punishment, elimination) in each moment of time; the possibility of

characterizing, and therefore of using individuals according to the level in the series that

they are moving through; the possibility of accumulating time and activity, of rediscovering

them, totalized and usable in a final result” (Foucault, 1995, p. 160). (maksudnya ?)

d. The composition of forces

The last part of discipline technique is the coordination of all parts. Discipline

became the art of composing forces to obtain an efficient machine(past?). To achieve this,

the interests of each individual are subordinated to the good of the community(present?). As

Foucault states that, the individual body becomes an element that may be placed, moved,

articulated on others and the body is constituted as a part of a multi-segmentary machine

(Foucault, 1995, p. 164).

 As stated before in the art of distribution and the control of activity, the communities

of The Giver are distributed according to their age and their functions in the society; their

activity is also arranged and observed by the state. The act of this distribution and

controlling their activity were done for the benefit of the state and it will lead an individual

becoming to an interchangeable element which can easily replace if they cannot acquired

their task. The Release is an example which show that individuals in the society of The

Giver are becomes an interchangeable element. For this society, as Jonas mention in the

opening scene that it was a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure which

indicates that they are not fit in to the society (Lowry, 1993, p. 2). In this society, there were

(V3?)two occasions of release which were not punishment; release of the elderly and release

of a newchild (Lowry, 1993, p. 7) . The society in The Giver was(v3?) not known about the

truth of Release. The release is a euphemism for death penalty. However, the aim of the

release is parallel to the aim of technique of distribution and controlling activity which will

make an individual become an interchangeable element. The release just a tool for the state

to keep maintain them to do the act of distribution and controlling of their activity.

4.3. PANOPTIC SURVEILLANCE

Foucault use(s) Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon building as a metaphor of how

surveillance works in a society. Foucault argues that the Panopticon design is perfect for

surveillance not just in prisons but in society in general because it allows the power to be

both “visible and unverifiable” (Foucault, 1995, p. 201). He explains that “the prisoner

should be constantly observed by an inspector” and always “have before his eyes the tall

outline of the central tower from which he is spied on”; however, he “must never know
whether he is being looked at any one moment,” and yet “must be sure that he may always

be so” (Foucault, 1995, p. 201). In brief, to ensure that the body is “docile,” it needs to be

under regular scrutiny, and the body has to be aware of it. This awareness will guarantee

discipline on the body’s part because there is no way to be certain whether you are being

watched or not. The main objective of this system is to always monitor what the body is

doing, so that one day the body will be so disciplined that it will start regulating its actions

of its own and become the subject of self-surveillance (Foucault, 1995, p. 212).

Overall from the explanation above, the researcher conclude(s) that without a

constant threat of punishment and demonstration of power, this Panopticon system cannot

function properly. Therefore the states need actual surveillance and punishment, so the

people will eventually start to regulating self-surveillance because they realize that the state

are observing and monitoring them. Foucault stated that “those who are constantly under

observation and discipline develop a self-regulating mechanism and they become the

principle of his own subjection, playing both the roles of the observer and the object of

observation” (Foucault, 1995, p. 203).

Self surveillance or panoptic surveillance is evident in The Giver, for example,

children are under observation by The Elder who assigned their assignments when they

reach the age of twelve. As Foucault mention before that power can be both “visible and

unverifiable”, in this society, those who assigned to observe the children are seldom to be

seen and the children will never know when and where they were being observed. However,

everything the children do is visible and affects the decision of their assigned position. The

result of this constant observation into the children is they start to monitor themselves to

avoid an unwanted career.

 Another example is when in the ritual of the evening telling of feelings in Jonas

family. At first, Jonas preferred to keep his feelings, but as Jonas realized that it was against

the rules (Lowry, 1993, p. 9), so he shared his feelings eventually. Jonas realized that the

rituals are included in the rules and to break the rules, there will be punishment, so in this

occasion, Jonas chooses to follow the order(no predicate?). On top of that, the loudspeaker,

as was pointed out earlier, it positioned in every household in the society. The committee

will recognize if an individual rejects or not participating the rituals. Because of this

awareness, Jonas still take part of the ritual even at the beginning he preferred to not to take

part. The awareness of the presence of the loudspeaker as the ear and the mouthpiece of the

committee make Jonas aware all the time. When he starts his training to become the next

Receiver, he shocked at the first time he entered the Giver’s room. On that room, the

loudspeaker had a switch which the Giver turned it off when they start the training. For

Jonas, to have the power to turn the loudspeaker off was an astonishing thing (Lowry, 1993,

p. 79). However, even if he know(s) that the giver will turned the loudspeaker off when the

training session begin(s), he still aware(s) and carefully use(s) his word. For example, when

Jonas realized(v3?) the truth(apa truth nya) about sameness, the first thing that he was done

is glanced quickly at the wall speaker, and terrified if the committee might be

listening(maksudnya?). At that moment, he was afraid if the committee heard them so he

just whispered to the giver about his feelings.

As was pointed out before, when Jonas had his first stirrings, at first, Jonas has been

worried as the Loudspeaker mention that it must be reported and there will be some further

treatment. But it is not necessary to report it to the state directly as his mother said that he is

already reported it through the ritual of dream telling. However, to keeping up with the
 medication is mainly left to the inhabitants themselves. As Jonas’s mother remarks, “I’ll

remind you for the first week, but then you must do it on your own”. Another moment when

his family were going to the ceremony, his mother, once again remind him and ask him

whether he had take his pills or not. In this occasion, the family unit collectively maintains

the controlling mechanism of suppressing sexual desires. They have developed, as Foucault

argues as docile body, a self regulating mechanism where the members of the community

observe and discipline themselves.

Finally, the rituals, the rules and the loudspeakers were used to ensure that the

individual is constantly under surveillance. As mention above, panoptic surveillance will

work if the actual surveillance has been done before. Therefore the people will eventually

start to regulating self-surveillance because they realize that the state are observing and

monitoring them.

4.2. THE EFFECTS OF SURVEILLANCE

Lyon states that surveillance is “disabling and as well as enabling”. He states that

surveillance can serve goals of protection, administration, rule compliance, documentation,

and strategy, as well as goals involving inappropriate manipulation, restricted life

opportunities, social control, and spying (Lyon, 2001, p. 42). In other words, surveillance

has two effects; it can be positive and also negative. At one side, surveillance can protect the

society from any . but in the other hand,