Fiction, Fantasy, & YA-Review 3

1.BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1993. THE GIVER. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0440219078

2.PLOT SUMMARY
This is a science fiction novel for young adults. The setting is in Sameness, a community that is governed by rules, procedures, discipline, and in which the inhabitants have been deprived of many of the experiences that have existed Elsewhere such as the viewing of color and music. The community members don’t even realize of these and other possibilities. Their world is colorless, limited to the allowed vocabulary experienced, and devoid of memories and depth in feelings for the community members’ protection. The quest from the Elders who run the community is to have a perfect community in which its inhabitants are trained not to be rude or experience strong emotions, and in which the vocational roles assigned by the Elders determines your stance in the community. These and other doings are said to be in protection from danger and pain to those who live there.
One day Jonas, a twelve year old boy is granted the role of Receiver of Memories. This job is regarded as the most honorable in the entire community, but once Jonas starts his training he realizes that it is also the most affective. His responsibility is to take in all the memories from The Giver of past events and past generations that would cause horrendous pain and turmoil for the rest of the community members if they themselves were to have some of those memories. Amongst some of the memories, Jonas is transmitted those of pain, hunger, rage, poverty, injustice, cruelty, and loneliness. Jonas also makes an awful discovery. For years he and the rest of the people have wondered about the “release” of the young who are considered not apt for the community and of the older people who are too weak to assist in any way. Where do they go? What is Elsewhere? As part of his gained rights as Receiver of Memories, Jonas discovers that people who are not needed anymore are killed via an injection. Jonas is horrified because he has discovered a series of deeper emotions that allow him to feel the injustice and cruelty in this event.
Jonas and The Giver devise a plan to attempt to make some changes. Together they have realized that the rest of the community members should have the opportunity to experience love, memories, colors, and music and the only way for this to be done is through Jonas’ escape from the community, leaving his memories behind. This way, the memories would once again become part of the people and The Giver would be there to help them cope with them as they needed. Through this event, Jonas is able to reach Elsewhere, a place full of true family, love, and even pain that he had seen in his visions while in training.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story follows the elements of a modern fantasy. The plot is based on events that are impossible as we know of the world right now. The shielding of harmful memories, the suppression of “stirrings” via a pill, and the climate controlled atmosphere in the community as if it were inside a bubble are impossible events. As unreal as it is, the plot was intriguingly written. The creation of this fictitious community who abides happily to rules and has unknowingly relinquished many of the fundamentals of what being true humans entail is interesting. The author has written and attention-grabbing story based on a plot that will leave many readers thinking about its possibilities. Could this happen one day? How would it come to happen?
In response to the unique plot, the author has provided the necessary information via the text to image the setting. The community is colorless, with an industrial feeling. The time period is futuristic as readers are often reminded that all of the memories that Jonas is receiving are from “Before you, before me, before the previous receiver, and generations before him.”
The careful use of straightforward language was appropriate to facilitate the following of the plot. Being that it is one of modern fantasy with events not ever experienced by readers, the otherwise use of new vocabulary or figurative language would have been overwhelming and a hindrance to the theme of the story. A mysterious mood was created by the gradual disclosure of memories of events that were once true to life: wars, death, hunger, love. Also, Jonas’ regular wondering about the “release” of people provided me with a desire to keep on reading to solve the mystery. The mention of this celebration, as it was regarded, was persistent throughout the story as a symbol of irony. The obligatory procedures of having family units share their feelings during dinner time is contradicting to their lack of possibility to experience feelings truthfully via the avoidance of memories and the ignorance that their act of “release” were instilled with cruelty and immorality.

4.REVIEW (EXCERPTS)
NEWBERRY MEDAL WINNER

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY- “Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL-“ The author makes real abstract concepts, such as the meaning of a life in which there are virtually no choices to be made and no experiences with deep feelings. This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time.”

5.CONNECTIONS
-Koogler, Pam. 2004. A GUIDE TO USING THE GIVER IN THE CLASSROOM. ISBN 1557345422 or Random House Teacher Guide online.
-Students write about Elsewhere, the place that Jonas has found at the end of the story, but of which the author does not provide much information. What would it be like for them?
-Read and comment on the interview provided by Lois Lowry about the writing of The Giver.
-What would be a perfect community for you?