Gatherings Blue Essay In the book, Gathering Blue, written by Lois Lowry, the village has many vicissitudes which makes it different from the utopian societies the audiences reading the book, Gathering Blue, come from. Readers can depict the cultural and educational differences in the communities in Gathering Blue compared to their own. Additionally, the author, Lois Lowry, changed ideas the audience would expect normal to changing them to become irregular and nonstandard.
Features such as government, religion, and gender roles differ, given that they have different methods and approaches in ways to live a life compared to what readers might expect in today’s modern society.
Council of Edifice is much different from governments audien and have seen because of the few of its unique techniques to govern the society.
Formerly, Gathering Blue has a unique government style because they are very controlling and selfish. The government constantly blindsides the people in their town to earn what they want; their intentions are not for the people of the town, but for their own pleasure.
“The guardians with their stern faces had no creative power. But they had strength and cunning, and they had found a way to steal and harness other people’s powers for their own needs.”(238)In modern societies, generally, governments do the best for their people, not for their desire. Governments are supposed to secure the rights and freedom for their people. After the citizens being submissive to the Guardians, they can barely practice any religion.
Humans now, are very conservative when approaching religion; as opposed to in Fen and the Council of Edifice, where they do not necessarily practice any religion. “We worship the Object” He said, gesturing toward the stage, and bowing. The entire audience bowed respectfully toward the little crossed construction of wood.” (198) Inhabitants of Kira’s society know about religion; however, they do not know the importance. It can be assumed that they are Christians given that they bowed to “the little crossed construction of wood.” (198) Gathering Blue’s religion is not worship, but a fearful, controlling command. Especially in America, religion is very important as it classifies different people of separate groups. Everyone must believe in something or the other. Additionally, in Edifice, there is a great percentage of gender discrepancy.
Residents in Edifice are divided along gender appearances. Men were allowed to do many activities women were not permitted to. “Kira eyed the volumes curiously. She had always yearned to read. But women were not allowed.” (29) Viewers would expect women to be allowed to read and write since in the present, women rank among the most knowledgeable in reading and writing subjects. “So that was his name: Jamison. It was not familiar to her. There were so many in the village, and the separation of male and female was so great, after childhood had ended.” (35) On the same note, there are only men on the Council, no women. Men and women are socialized in today’s community, not separated like in Edifice. It proves the significant differences between readers’ expectations and the reality in Gathering Blue.
Edifice and Fen are dystopian towns as villagers there live a life in controversial ways compared to many utopian communities. In Edifice, the government is very self-centered and miserly; however, standard governments care for their residents and make decisions based on the inhabitants’ needs and wants. Meanwhile, citizens there do not have a fixed religion as they just follow the Guardians. A very important aspect in their dystopian society is gender variation. Men and women are treated differently unlike in other utopian nations where men and women get equal rights. Altogether, as an antiutopian vicinity, Edifice and Fen have many characteristics which contrast to the perfect utopian communities most readers and audiences come from, making Edifice and Fen very corrupt compared to ordinary societies.