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Symbols
Jonas, The Giver, and Gabriel all stand out in the community because of their blue eyes. This difference shows the impossibility of the community's efforts to control nature completely, no matter how hard it tries. In addition, the fact that only the characters with blue eyes are able to see color (the rest of the community sees only in black and white) and to receive memories and feel true, deep emotion suggests that it is only those who are different who are able to notice the differences in others.
Blue Eyes Quotes in The Giver
The The Giver quotes below all refer to the symbol of Blue Eyes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3
Quotes
No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals.
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Blue Eyes Symbol Timeline in The Giver
The timeline below shows where the symbol Blue Eyes appears in The Giver. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...has only seen his own reflection a few times, Jonas notices that Gabriel has pale eyes like his, while most people in the community have dark eyes. Jonas thinks Gabriel's eyes...
(full context)
Chapter 8
...and Jonas notices an elder who stands out from the crowd because of his pale eyes. He knows this man is the Receiver. The Chief Elder recalls how ten years ago...
(full context)
