Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. 1993. The giver.
Plot Summary
The Giver is a young adult fantasy book that takes place in a “utopian” society. The story starts with Jonas, a normal seeming child who is about to turn twelve. He has a small family – mom, dad, and little sister. As the story progresses the reader finds a different society. It’s a society that is void of choices – so much so that even love has no real meaning. Marriages are arranged, careers are assigned, and babies are birthed by less honorable people and given to only those couples who qualify.
As the story continues, a new year comes up which means that everyone from ages one through eleven get to progress to the new age. For Jonas this means that he becomes twelve and that means that he is assigned his career assignment for the rest of his adult life. All of his friends get normal sounding jobs, but Jonas is chosen as the Receiver. This means he gets to receive the memories of the past – pain, joy, pleasure, suffering, and more. These memories are things that their society knows nothing about. As Jonas becomes better friends with the giver they come up with a plan to help everyone share the memories instead of Jonas having to bear them all.
Critical Analysis
The Giver, as a fantasy, is very believable. The story stays consistent and the characters are very believable. Jonas and his friends seem like normal kids except they live in a culture that has no love or choices. The life without choices really raises some good questions about whether choices are important or not or even what life would be like without choices. It’s a realistic enough place that one could imagine what it would be like to live there, even though there’s never been another place like it. A couple of other things that show the fantasy side of this story is the fact that everyone is color blind (except those with memories) and the fact that the people with memories can pass on memories by touching another person directly. The setting is revealed as the story continues. At first it seems like a normal place. As the story continues the “odd” things are uncovered. One thing is the presence of big brother type speakers are everywhere to scold or correct. Another thing is that they climate is controlled always – no rain, no snow and not too hot and not too cold.
The themes revealed throughout The Giver are varied. One is about how having choices can give us wisdom. Another is that without pain, you can’t know true joy and vice versa. A third one is how important it is to not forget the bad and the good, even if it’s painful or difficult. This book is so thought provoking – it makes many questions come up. What would life be like with no choices? Without love? Without rain? Without pain? Even though this story has these themes running throughout, they don’t over power the story itself. The story stays intriguing and interesting to the very end. The style of this story is great. The story is easy to understand without being too obvious. The ambiguous ending makes the story more interesting. The language used is very appropriate and the regular words that are used that have a different meaning in the story – like “release”, which really means euthanized – are explained well, although not always immediately. The characters in this story are very interesting. Jonas, the main character, is very easy to relate to, and he communicates the story through his actions and words. His growth throughout the story is a beautiful thing to read. He goes from being a controlled, unfeeling child, to a young man who learns to love and care and see the greater good.
This very thought provoking story would be great to share with young adults. Some of the subject matter is a bit mature for younger children and this book should be shared after careful consideration. This story could be shared in any country or culture and the themes and story would still be well conveyed because of the universality of them.
Review Excerpts
Booklist – “Anti-Utopian novels have an enduring appeal. This one makes an especially good introduction to the genre because it doesn't load the dice by presenting the idea of a community structured around safety as totally negative. There's a distinctly appealing comfort in sameness that kids--especially junior high kids--will recognize. Yet the choice is clear. Sameness versus freedom, happiness at the risk of pain. Something to talk about.”
Kirkus Reviews – “Wrought with admirable skill--the emptiness and menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by inexorable step: a richly provocative novel.”
Publishers Weekly – “Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world.”
School Library Journal – “The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time.”
Connections
Have students write their thoughts/predictions for the ending of The Giver.
Have young adults read the two follow-up books to The Giver:
Gathering Blue ISBN 9780618055814
Messenger ISBN 9780618404414
Lead a discussion about limiting choices and what implications that would have for the students.
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