The Giver - Lois Lowry

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993.


Summary: The Giver tells the story of the twelve-year-old boy Jonas and his assignment as the Receiver of Memories for his village.  Jonas lives in a society where uniformity is law.  From birth, members of this society are taught to behave and look in the same way.  Throughout time, as this society has formed, even colors have been forgotten and wether is regulated so that all things are uniform.  The only large distinctions made amongst members are assigned tasks.  These are given to twelve-year-olds at the Ceremony of Twelve.  It is here that Jonas learns he is to take on the most honorable position in the society: the role of Receiver of Memories.  With the guidance of his mentor, the Giver, Jonas learns the truth about his society and the Giver transfers all of the memories of the way things were before the society.  Jonas makes a decision to return the memories to society so that things will go back to the way they were before being so regulated.  With the help of the Giver and through his own determination, Jonas seeks to restore the people's ability to chose and makes his way to "Elsewhere."  




Dystopia: In this novel, the dystopia is present in a similar manner to other texts.  Like other stories such as 1984, Brave New World, etc., the emphasis is on uniformity.  Members of the society are raised and bred to look similar and act in the same ways.  Any divergence from this norm is seen as inappropriate or bizarre (such as Jonas' lighter colored eyes).  The members of society adhere to a strict code, and are ignorant of any other way.  As Jonas receives the memories from the Giver,  he becomes aware of the horrifying realities of his society.  The most striking example of this comes when Jonas learns the truth about being "released" from society.  Jonas father releases a twin from the community, and thinks that he is just sending the child to another place.  However, the Giver reveals to Jonas that his father has actually killed the child, and sent him down a chute.  Old members of the community are disposed of in a similar manner.  While the rest of society believes that release is a harmless thing, Jonas learns the truth and is shocked by it.  At this moment in the story, he decides, along with the Giver, that something must be done.  


Like Winston from 1984, knowledge is that which opens Jonas' eyes.  When he learns that there was once such thing as color, war, and sledding, Jonas sees that life in his community is unfair.  It is unfair, because there is no choice.  Without pain, members of the community have never experiences great joy.  Without the ugliness of war, they cannot appreciate the beauty of a field of flowers.  In fact, color itself has disappeared.  


Unlike some dystopian novels, this one ends with a glimmer of hope.  Jonas releases the memories of the past back into the community, and therefore opens people's eyes to choice and another way of life.  In the ending image he thinks he hears music, but in true dystopian fashion, Lowry tells that it may have been just an echo.  This ending gives hope, but allows the novel to retain its grave tone.  


This novel is heavy to be classified as YA lit., and is different because it does not focus so heavily on one character and his/her growing pains, but on the issue of society as a whole.  However, it does follow a twelve-year-old and his comeuppance in his own society, making it most appropriate and identifiable for younger readers.  It is a great novel to discuss the topic of choice and skepticism when it comes to governments and ruling bodies in general.  I think students would enjoy discussing the similarities between the novel and what can be found in the real world.  In this way, it is a good novel to help students who are prone to being self-involved shift their view from self to the larger picture.  It is an enjoyable book to read, and the plot is compelling and the action fast enough to keep students interested.  The writing is appropriate for younger, middle-school, but the material is thought-provoking enough to engage readers of 20+.


-Zach O  

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