The ideas of infanticide and euthanasia are not new. In ancient Greece, Plutarch wrote that infanticide was a common practice in Sparta to rid the city of children who "lacked health and vigor." Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato all favored euthanasia but only under certain conditions. As organized religion flourished, euthanasia became morally and ethically condemned by religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, all of which consider human life to be sacred.
Euthanasia is an extremely controversial subject, and it is easy to imagine how the power to euthanize can get out of hand. In Jonas' community, such power is abused. Anyone who is different, who does not follow the rules, or who is no longer useful to the community is killed. The people in charge, including Nurturers — like Jonas' father — and the Director of the House of the Old, are simply following rules set forth in the Book of Rules, which was established to maintain the safety and security of the community. Like The Giver says about Jonas' father, who kills an infant in Chapter 19, "It's what he was told to do, and he knows nothing else." The irony of killing people who are different in order to maintain Sameness reinforces Lowry's theme that people must be aware of and care about other people.
