Book Cover:
This story centers around a boy named Jonas who is coming of the age where it will be decided what his occupation will be. The Elders control the outcome of everything by censoring and deciding everything from their assignment (job), to who they will marry, and which children they will receive. They even control color. Jonas has been selected to be The Receiver. He is to be trained by the Giver who gives him memories from all of history before the world as they knew it was made. Seeing the world how it was is too much for Jonas, and this life pales in comparison, so he and The Giver plan for Jonas to go elsewhere, so when he leaves the memories will be released to the community and they will be allowed to feel again.
APA Reference of Book:
Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. New York: NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Impressions: (My impressions usually contain spoilers)
I thought this book was very interesting, I have always been interested in books that feature a Utopian or Dystopian view and the ideas these authors have of the future. Like other novels in this genre, this one has to do with control. The control of color, love, families, assignments (jobs), everything. That is the secret to a peaceful civilization. I thought it was interesting that they were not even allowed to have their own children, or sex for that matter. They had children chosen for them to be in their family. Biological mothers gave birth but would not keep their babies. The story between The Giver and his daughter also struck a chord with me. She wished to be released because of what she knew and did not want to live in this world. I thought the love Jonas had for Gabriel was moving, especially when he went to such measures to save him when he was to be released. The end of the book was left ambiguous and I thought that was a really good, and frustrating, way to end it. I am the type of person who feels I need to know what happens afterwards, and after that, and after that. When something is left up to the reader as The Giver is, it frustrates me because my imagination is good, but I want to know what the author thought. I really enjoyed this book, even though I do not know what the fate of Jonas and Gabriel was in the end. (Edit: I have recently discovered that there is a continuation of this book with three other installments that apparently clear up the ending of The Giver. After my slight vent about the ending, I am unsure if I am totally happy that the answer was given to us by these other books. As much as I like that it is cleared up, I respected the authors decision to leave the ending up to the reader,)
Professional Review:
In a departure from her well-known and favorably regarded realistic works, Lois Lowry has written a fascinating, thoughtful science-fiction novel. The story takes place in a nameless community, at an unidentified future time. The life is utopian: there is no hunger, no disease, no pollution, no fear; old age is tenderly cared for; every child has concerned and attentive parents. Each aspect of life has a prescribed rule: one-year-olds — "Ones" — are Named and given to their chosen family; "Nines" get their first bicycles; Birthmothers give birth to three children and then become Laborers, "family units" get two children, one male, one female. In Jonas's family, his father is a Nurturer, one who cares for the "newchildren" before they go to a family unit; his mother is in the Department of Justice, and he has a younger sister, Lily. But although their life seems perfect, the reader somehow becomes uneasily aware that all is not well. Young Jonas is eagerly waiting his Ceremony of Twelve, the time when all the twelve-year-olds in the community receive their Assignments for their lifelong professions.He can guess that his playful, jolly friend Asher will work in Recreation and that gentle Fiona will be Caretaker of the Old but he is astonished to be selected to be trained to be the new Receiver of Memories, the most respected of the Elders. As he begins his training by the old Receiver, whom he calls the Giver, he discovers that the community is spared all memories of pain and grief, which are lodged in the mind of the Giver, and now transmitted to Jonas. He learns about war, starvation, neglect, misery, and despair. He learns, to his horror, the truth about the happy release given to old people and newchildren who do not thrive. But he learns also about joys that the community never experiences: they do not see color, or hear music, or know love. In a cliffhanger ending which can be construed as allegory or reality, he asserts his new wisdom and knowledge. The story is skillfully written; the air of disquiet is delicately insinuated. And the theme of balancing the values of freedom and security is beautifully presented.
Flowers, A. A. (1993). The Giver [Review of the book The Giver, by L. Lowry]. Horn Book Magazine, 69(4), 458. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com
Library Use: This would be a good book to discuss with a group of kids in a book club, how they see the future heading and if they believe this society was correct with their limitations.
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