THE GIVER by Lois Lowry

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1993. The Giver. New York, NY: Dell Laurel-Leaf. ISBN 0440237688

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This Newberry Award-winning novel is about the changes that 12-year-old Jonas undergoes as the secrets of the utopian society in which he lives are revealed to him by the “Giver.” Selected to be the next “Receiver of Memory,” Jonas gradually receives the collective memories of the past and has difficulty reconciling this knowledge with the present. He eventually realizes that the lack of social ills in his community (like crime, poverty and inequality) is at the expense of free will. He rescues an infant condemned to death and makes a daring escape into the unknown to alter the course of the future for everyone.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
At the outset of the novel, only Jonas’ light eyes and his fleeting ability to see the color red set him apart from his peers. As the burden of truth is slowly unloaded in his memory, his character grows multi-faceted. This character development is particularly apparent with his growing connection to the Giver and to the baby he rescues and his gradual detachment from other community members, including those in his own family unit.

This book demonstrates that even if a utopian society was possible, it would not necessarily be desirable. Through Jonas, the reader is given the ability to examine the human condition from the perspective of an outsider. For example, when Jonas learns that being “released” means being killed, he asks the Giver if his friend, Fiona, has participated in this cruel act. The Giver responds, “She’s very efficient at her work…Feelings are not part of the life she’s learned…Jonas, you and I are the only ones who have feelings” (153-154). This is when Jonas realizes that he can no longer condone actions that he has the capability to understand.

A number of significant issues are addressed in this story: the notion of freedom, what constitutes family and community, euthanasia, the death penalty, inequality, and even the nuances of language. Lowry brings the ignorance is bliss theory into question. While the ending is optimistic, it is definitely open to interpretation.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Booklist: “Lowry's simple, powerful prose creates an anti-utopian world where the lack of hardship, war, and poverty only covers the citizens' deeper lack of freedom.”

From Horn Book Guide: “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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Other titles by Lois Lowry
The Messenger ISBN 0385732538
Gathering Blue ISBN 0385732562
Gossamer ISBN 0618685502
*Create an epilogue that explains what happens after the sled comes to a stop
*Draw a picture of Jonas’ world before and after his training as Receiver of Memory (black and white with hints of red vs. full-color)
*Discuss or debate controversial issues (i.e. euthanasia, death penalty) from the story