SOCIAL CRITICISM

IN THE GIVER MOVIE

BY:
AMRINA MAULIDA SUGANDI
11150260000013
Background of the Study

Social criticism discusses about community phenomena or

problems that exist in society. one example is criticism of
freedoms that have been restricted to humans, which makes
them uncomfortable, such as limitations of freedom in give
opinion, choosing a job, choosing a partner, choosing a friends,
determining a future, even determining a feeling and emotion
every person. Horn (2019) said that people have full freedom to
choose, he believes citizens have the right to decide between
valuable options. The Giver is a movie which presents about
social criticisms. Social problems in the film need to be
analyzed, in order to make us more concerned about the
condition of the people around us. As said by Sargisson (2012) a
critical approach to the problem of social relativity allows us to
think intelligently, about how one part of life impacts another.
 
 Focus of the Study
To provide an appropriate result, the author will focus on how social
criticism is presented in The Giver movie with three criticisms that
will be discussed namely; the condition of society, the influence of
technology, and the chief elder thoughts, used the utopia concept by
Thomas More and Sociology of Literature by Wallek and Warren.
 RESEARCH
QUESTION

How the social criticism of

the community presented in
The Giver movie?
 This research utilizes qualitative method.
Qualitative is one of the
methods that fit in this research,
as researchers will do without using
numbers only words and images.
Daniel (2016) said that qualitative
Method in the collection depends
on non-numeric data which means
the contents of the research are in
the form of words and images that
are described in accordance with
the analysis of the text to be
analyzed, besides the instrument
of the research is the researcher
THE METHOD himself so that the research is
OF RESEARCH very suitable to provide data
or factual and descriptive
information.
 The unit of analysis used in this
study was a movie from United
State, entitled The Giver movie
released in 2014 and film included
to science fiction genre, directed by
Phillip Noyce. The film is based on a
Novel written by Lois Lowrey of the
same title, “The Giver” in 1993.

UNIT ANALYSIS
DATA
 The process of collecting data
the author will watch
The Giver movie carefully and
comprehensively, also collect
data from dialogues or text
that related to the problem of
criticism on community
conditions presented in the
movie.
DATA
COLLECTING
TECHNIQUES
 After collecting the data, watching
the movie
comprehensively, and making
notes. The data will be interpreted
and analyzed using the theory from
Wallek and Warren about sociology of
Literary work, also the concept of
utopia by Thomas More. Lastly, the data
is concluded
DATA
ANALYZING
TECHNIQUES
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Sociology of Literary Work by Concept of Utopia by

Wallek and warren. Thomas More.
 RESEARCH FINDINGS
1. Social Criticism on the Conditions of Society.
• Lack of freedom
Fiona : “I’m going to miss the volunteering here.”
Asher : “Oh no. if ever there was a person born to work at the
nurturing center.”
Fiona : “I could be surprised right? Jonas if you had to guess, of all
the positions the elders picked for me?
Jonas : “Nurturing Center.”

Fiona asked Jonas to guess about what position of work that will has been
determined by the chief elder to her on the celebration, and at the
celebration all positions was given to the community by the chief elder.
Their lives have been arranged in such a way by the chief elder, the
concern about getting a job is a problem that exists in society today,
therefore, certainty about the future is something that is desired by the
dystopia community because it is guaranteed good and fulfilled.
 RESEARCH FINDINGS
• must comply with regulations.
Mother : “Well, he did need to be rehabilitated, and I know he was Lily’s
teacher but what was I supposed to do?
Father : “Hmmm…
Mother : “I feel disappointment.”
Father : “what was the Elder’s decision?”
Mother : “Released to Elsewhere.”
Lily : “can I be “Released to Elsewhere” mother? Even just for one
day?”
Mother : “No you are too young, Lily Billy.”

The condition of the community that is very obedient to the orders of the
elders, the elders have big power, they can do whatever they want, even
the decisions about people's lives are determined by them, as in the text
above what was said by Jonas's mother about "Release to Elsewhere" these
words have a cruel meaning, behind the word the real meaning is killed, if
there are people who behave according to the rules then the final decision
is "Release to Elsewhere.
 RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Equality
The Giver : “When our people, they chose to do away with all of
them, color, race, religion, they created sameness. If we were
different we could be envious, angry, or resentful, consumed
with hatred. We need Sameness. Don’t you think?”
Jonas : “Oh, I completely agree. But still, it’s all so beautiful.

The giver said that the elders had erased the memory for fear of having
frightening and painful memories as before which eventually led to
problems such as jealousy, anger, and disrespect for each other, this is
what the elders did not want in the community so that a similarity was
needed. Jonas agreed that differences often lead to problems that do not
accept differences such as cultural, racial, and religious differences, but in
the end Jonas said that differences also have beauty in them that is not
always interpreted or considered as a problem, it all depends on humans
themselves in interpreting differences.
 RESEARCH FINDINGS
2. Criticism of Technology that Plays an Important Role in Society’s Life

Jonas : “Father, do you love me?”

Mother : “Jonas, precision of language, please.”
Liliy : “what does “love” mean?”
Mother : “Jonas used a word so antiquated, that it no longer has any application.
Okay?”
Lily : “Okay.”
Father : “If you asked, “Do you enjoy me?” the answer is certainly yes or do
mother and I take pride in your accomplishments? Well of course we do.
Do you understand?
Jonas : “Yes.”

They cannot express love directly without obstacles and also limitations caused by
technology; it is considered a strange word by them. The word Jonas expressed was
not understood by his father, even his mother and younger sister did not understand
what was meant by Jonas, and his father asked Jonas to use words that could be
understood, and his father said "Do you enjoy me" and the words would only be
understood by them, It was realized by Jonas that there was something strange
happening in the place where he lived.
 RESEARCH FINDINGS
3. Criticism of the Chief Elder’s Thoughts

Chief Elder : “Beginnings from disorder and chaos, from great suffering, great pain,
from confusion and envy and hatred came a solution Communities.
Serene, beautiful places where disorder harmony. Let me get through it.
Oh, fine. It begins the ceremony

she did not want to feel chaos, suffering, deep pain, confusion,
envy and anger, all that she wanted to avoid and eliminate in
human life, because it was made a community governed by
himself with a technological, all community activities are
supervised by her without freedom, all are full of limitations,
and she thinks that creating such a community is the only solution to avoid this
terrible event, a beautiful place full of harmony. In fact, all harmony what she
believes is not a real harmony or based on the awareness of community without
having to eliminate past memories and limit all activities owned by the community,
the harmony becomes out of harmony, only she is the one who thinks that the
solution to make a community like that is right, but in the reality, it is not right.
 Conclusion
Conclusion

people's life cannot be regulated and determined by

people's
another life cannot
human be regulated
in determining and determined
the future except by by her
another human in determining the future
and by God. In creating a good society, it is not except by her
and by God.
necessary In creating
to control people,a good
but itsociety, it is not
needs cooperation
andnecessary to control
togetherness. people,
Just let buttheir
choose it needs
way cooperation
and let them
learn to accept how the consequences of whatand
and togetherness. Just let choose their way theylet them
learn
have to accept
been done and howchosen.
the consequences
In addition, ofthewhat they of
concept
havepresented
utopia been doneby and chosen.More,
Thomas In addition,
seems not the suit
concept
with of
theutopia
societypresented by Thomas
in The Giver movie.More, seems not
The concept suit the
shows with
the society
condition in The Giversociety,
of uncontrolled movie. The concept
contrast to the shows the
condition
condition ofof uncontrolled
society society,
in the movie by contrast to the
which everything
is condition
controlledofbysociety in the
the chief movie
elder. Thus, bythe
which
concepteverything
has a
contradiction view about utopian as it is portrayed inhas a
is controlled by the chief elder. Thus, the concept
thecontradiction
movie. view about utopian as it is portrayed in
the movie.
THANK YOU 