The Giver by Lois Lowry

 

The Giver by Lois Lowry



"Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinqushed color when we relinquished sushine and did away with difference. We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others."

-Lois Lowry,The Giver, Ch.3

Summary: Jonas lives in a world with no suffering, no hardship, and no unhappiness.  He is innocently looking forward to turning twelve and being placed into his new societal role by the Chief Elder.  He lives in a community run by a committee that decides everything for the good of the community.  In a community where no one is meant to be singled out, Jonas is.  He is chosen to be the new Giver, to receive all the secrets and knowledge about his community.  As Jonas begins to truly understand how his community works, he realizes he must make a choice between exposing or sheltering everyone involved.

Grade Level: 6^th to 8^th grade

Themes:  Individual choice and societal roles, Utopian/Dystopian society, Euthanasia/Release, Family, Faith, Conformity/Disabilities

Possible Student Reaction:  Students will empathize with Jonas and many of the characters in The Giver.  They will root for him and understand the decisions he makes.  The only character that may not receive the forgiveness and understanding of all the other characters is Jonas’ Father.  His job as a nurturer reveals a shocking duty that Jonas struggles to understand and I expect the same to happen with every reader.

Analysis:  This book is all about society getting everything it thinks it wants; everyone is polite, has a job, there are no personal/ hormonal dramatics, there is a conscientious conservation of resources, no pain or suffering, and above all the equitable treatment of everyone.  Sounds wonderful, who wouldn’t want to live in Jonas’ world.  It is when Lowry’s creation of a “perfect” society begins to fray around the edges that the reader begins to realize that humans are not built for being “perfect” no matter how hard we try.  The beautiful idea of their “perfect” society turns to the negative description of “sameness”.  The definition of sameness is a state of uniformity, a lack of variety and monotony. 

Lowry gives readers a chance to talk about whether differences are good or bad.  And who ultimately should be in charge of making that distinction? Lowry opens up a dialog about an individual’s responsibilities and choices; choices that even a young adult has a responsibility to think through.  There are so many different points of discussion that can arise from reading this book but Lowry’s writing handles them all in a very personal and identifiable way for the young adult reader.  When discussing this book be prepared to cover the gambit, from freedom to faith.


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Lowry's book is a powerful conversation started but her speech (linked below) made in November after the 9/11 attack on the U.S. is an emotional message about her thoughts, feelings and what she believes everyone should learn from this tragedy:
"...in these times that are the beginning of sadness...let us quietly write things down. Let us find words that others have written down, over generations and centuries. Let us read these things to one another, and to our children." 

Read her whole speech at: 

Lois Lowry 2001 Speech to the Ohio Library Eductional Meida Association Annual Convention