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A review by a_mae13
The Giver by Lois Lowry
3.0
"Without the memories, it's all meaningless.”
I never read this in school, I read Gathering Blue instead. Reading this as an adult is underwhelming but it's meant for a younger audience. That being said, it still is a good short story to read. The Giver touches on dystopian ideals; Jonas and his family are living in an idyllic world where crime is very low and people get to do whatever they want. You're able to pick your dream job, everything is decided for you, there is no uncertainty, and everyone is healthy. My younger self would have loved this plot. The mundane tasks pre-decided would have been lovely. I wouldn't have to waste any energy on learning things I didn't care about? I'd always have everything prepared for me? Sign me up.
Reading this as an adult, the "everything is decided for you" trope is more ominous. Adults understand that the freedom of choice is precious and a privilege, something often overlooked as a child. Jonas is 11 years old and is living with his family and his baby foster brother, Gabe. His father works at the Nurturing Center and decides which babies and elders are fit for their community and which will be released "elsewhere". At the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is skipped over for his career/education path. This only means one thing: he's going to be paired with the Receiver of Memory aka the Giver. In this world, people don't have memories from before the community became perfect. The Giver holds onto all of these memories and is tasked with the burden of holding onto all of the memories from before.
The community lives in sameness; everything is one color, there are no seasons, there are no emotions, there is no caste/social hierarchy, everything is the same. When Jonas discovers how people lived before the sameness, he's shocked to see the pain and happiness that people once felt. Hanging over Jonas's training is the fact that the Giver once before had an apprentice, named Rosemary, but the boy finds his parents and the Giver reluctant to discuss what happened to her.Jonas also learns that the "released from the community" ceremony is actually murder. Citizens that are realized aren't simply shipped to "elsewhere", they are euthanized by physicians in the community. Identical twins (and presumably other multiples) are released because only one of them can stay in the community. Jonas realizes that his father, who is fostering Gabriel, plans to release him if he doesn't build strength.
Jonas takes all of this and decides his best bet is to run away to elsewhere. He takes Gabriel with him and sneaks out during the night. The Giver tells him that he'll start to see more of the "beyond" (aka how life is usually depicted with colors and feelings) the longer he has his gift. He also tells him that Rosemary, his daughter and former apprentice,killed herself when she realized the horrors of their perfect community.
I never read this in school, I read Gathering Blue instead. Reading this as an adult is underwhelming but it's meant for a younger audience. That being said, it still is a good short story to read. The Giver touches on dystopian ideals; Jonas and his family are living in an idyllic world where crime is very low and people get to do whatever they want. You're able to pick your dream job, everything is decided for you, there is no uncertainty, and everyone is healthy. My younger self would have loved this plot. The mundane tasks pre-decided would have been lovely. I wouldn't have to waste any energy on learning things I didn't care about? I'd always have everything prepared for me? Sign me up.
Reading this as an adult, the "everything is decided for you" trope is more ominous. Adults understand that the freedom of choice is precious and a privilege, something often overlooked as a child. Jonas is 11 years old and is living with his family and his baby foster brother, Gabe. His father works at the Nurturing Center and decides which babies and elders are fit for their community and which will be released "elsewhere". At the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is skipped over for his career/education path. This only means one thing: he's going to be paired with the Receiver of Memory aka the Giver. In this world, people don't have memories from before the community became perfect. The Giver holds onto all of these memories and is tasked with the burden of holding onto all of the memories from before.
The community lives in sameness; everything is one color, there are no seasons, there are no emotions, there is no caste/social hierarchy, everything is the same. When Jonas discovers how people lived before the sameness, he's shocked to see the pain and happiness that people once felt. Hanging over Jonas's training is the fact that the Giver once before had an apprentice, named Rosemary, but the boy finds his parents and the Giver reluctant to discuss what happened to her.
Jonas takes all of this and decides his best bet is to run away to elsewhere. He takes Gabriel with him and sneaks out during the night. The Giver tells him that he'll start to see more of the "beyond" (aka how life is usually depicted with colors and feelings) the longer he has his gift. He also tells him that Rosemary, his daughter and former apprentice,