The Giver by Lois Lowery

By Polina Zinger

“The Giver” By Lois Lowery follows the story of a young twelve-year-old boy, named Jonas who lives in a highly controlled society with strict rules and unusual community standards. In Jonas world, everything is organized, and people live without strong emotions and real choices. The community Jonas lives in has an absence of color and people see the world only in black and white. When children turn twelve, they are assigned their future jobs by the Committee of Elders. The officials of the society only show the people in the community what is “ok” to be shown to the public, covering the publics eyes constantly. During the Ceremony of twelve Jonas is selected for a special role the “Receiver of Memory.” At first, he does not understand what his job involves. The Committee of Elders bring him to the existing Receiver of Memory, and Jonas learns from him. Through the memories received, Jonas learns how to love, and most importantly how to use his own view, create his own values and execute his daily routine as the Receiver of Memory. The more Jonas speaks to his mentor, the more he discovers about the world that is hidden from all. Jonas begins to look behind the silver lining and finally opens his eyes to the real world, falling into a stage of shock, following his own values. Throughout the book, the theme of emotional struggle and importance of freedom is often brought up. Once Jonas becomes the receiver of memory, he realizes in what society he lives, and that a life without pain also lacks true joy. A society that always shuts out dangers and obstacles and does not let you live to your full potential is a negative society. A society that does not let you make any mistakes, will not teach you how to recover or learn from them. It creates a limited society. The Giver raises questions about ethics, morality, freedom, and personal standing, encouraging readers to think about their own values and the world around them. 

By: Polina Zinger