Power and the Giver

The theme of power is very evident in the novel, The Giver. The Chief Elders are believed to hold all the power at the beginning of the novel; from assigning people their jobs, to matching people with their mates and children. They decide what happens in the community, they set all rules and hold all rules. The Chief Elders were, in my opinion, basically like dictators, but referred to in softer terms. As the novel progresses and Jonas receives his assignment as the Receiver, it becomes somewhat apparent that the Giver has a lot of power as well. If the Giver was to run away, or apply for release before giving Jonas all the memories, he would burden the community with the truth. As the story further progresses and Jonas begins to receive the memories, he has as much power as the Giver. If Jonas was to allow the memories to pass to the community, there was nothing that could stop them. The Chief Elders would have no way of holding back the memories, and all the information lies in the hands of Jonas and the Giver. I believe that though the Chief Elders make all the decisions for the community, Jonas and the Giver are the ones who hold the true power, because they are the ones who can make or break the community.