The Giver

The Giver

       I had heard many times over, about The Giver and how great of a book it is or about how much someone enjoyed it. After reading it, I strongly agree with those sentiments. The narrative pulled me in, and Jonas' growth was a part of my growth as a reader, as I learned of the major imperfections of life that were absent for many in the "perfect" community.

       The whole idea of memories, both being good and difficult, really touched me. All too often, many people think that they would rather live a life numb to emotions and unaffected by the rise and fall of life. Jonas learns that, but also learned another important lesson. Understanding that parents, adults, even the community as a whole projects not necessarily a "lie" in the crueler sense but rather a single narrative that goes unquestioned because it makes life easier. For me, and this is based on my personal economic beliefs, but I see the way of picking winners and losers in the community very similar to the ills of capitalism. You are born into a situation in which you profit or will be "banished" from the community and never will really be able to gain anything.

       The secondary world that is created in The Giver is one that mirrors the possibilities of our own world, but there are some scientific possibilities that allows this to be a science fiction story. The passing down of memories from The Giver to the Receiver through touch is an interesting element that I do not know if that would be fantasy then or not, but the scientific implications (genetic modifications were hinted at) are definitely a possibility.

       The world that is created is an interesting scenario, one where the society has decided to optimize human societal contribution and render choice obsolete. It is a scary situation where decisions are made for everyone and those that do not contribute or differ from the norm and expectations need to be "released". It is an interesting topic for the reader to think about, whether it is better to have a pain-free existence where one never has to ask what if, or to have a pain-riddled life where choices must be made and consequences doled out. The abrupt end of the story, and the lack of clarity of the third person narration, only hints at the outcome of what Jonas' decision led him to, a fade to whiteness rather than blackness.