"Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta."

This quote is taken from "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. It describes a community which lives by very structured societal rules. Every child has to belong to a particular peer group named after letters in the Greek alphabet. and must abide by rigid rules, for example, the colour of the clothes they are required to wear. Children falling within each category are deemed to have the same characteristics as each other.

In "The Giver", children in Jonas's community are also divided into groups according to their age, with each group being named accordingly. For example, all five-year olds are categorized into one group and called "Fives". Each group must conform to established rules regarding their clothing, haircuts and behaviour for that age group."Sameness" prevails over individuality as everyone and everything are predictable day after day and year after year.

When children turn eight, they must begin their volunteer hours. Although they are given the choice of where they want to undertake their volunteer work, it is mandatory that they complete a specified number of hours. Even though it appears that they have the freedom to choose, this is actually illusory as they such freedom is controlled, and the purpose of such volunteer work is to give the Committee of Elders the chance to observe each child in order to assign them their lifelong careers.

"Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do, because they're so frightfully clever. I'm awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. And then we are much better than the Gammas and Deltas. Gammas are stupid. They all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don't want to play with Delta children. And Epsilons are still worse. They're too stupid to be able to read or write. Besides they wear black, which is such a beastly colour. I'm so glad I'm a Beta."

This quote is taken from "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. It describes a community which lives by very structured societal rules. Every child has to belong to a particular peer group named after letters in the Greek alphabet. and must abide by rigid rules, for example, the colour of the clothes they are required to wear. Children falling within each category are deemed to have the same characteristics as each other.

In "The Giver", children in Jonas's community are also divided into groups according to their age, with each group being named accordingly. For example, all five-year olds are categorized into one group and called "Fives". Each group must conform to established rules regarding their clothing, haircuts and behaviour for that age group."Sameness" prevails over individuality as everyone and everything are predictable day after day and year after year.

When children turn eight, they must begin their volunteer hours. Although they are given the choice of where they want to undertake their volunteer work, it is mandatory that they complete a specified number of hours. Even though it appears that they have the freedom to choose, this is actually illusory as they such freedom is controlled, and the purpose of such volunteer work is to give the Committee of Elders the chance to observe each child in order to assign them their lifelong careers.