Quicklet on Lois Lowry's The Giver (CliffNotes-like Summary &

Quicklet on Lois Lowry's The Giver (CliffNotes-like Summary & Analysis)

ABOUT THE BOOK

What comes to mind when you envision a perfect society? Does it consist solely of happiness and peace? Are there equal rights for everyone regardless of gender, age and/or ethnic background? What about the weather, wildlife and natural landscapes? Is there a limit to the number of children families can have, or even to how they go about producing them? Is there a fair judicial system in place?

Lois Lowryâ€™s The GiverÂ tells the story of such a utopian society in which twelve-year old Jonas is the main character. Although his society might at first seem perfect and balancedâ€”there are, after all, no feelings, hunger, inequalities or painâ€”Jonas eventually realizes that his community has been missing out on all that life has to offer, calling into question the very concept of â€œideal.â€

The Giver, Lois Lowryâ€™s 21st novel, was published in 1993 and earned a Newbery Medal in 1994, â€œ[becoming] an almost instant classic.â€ As a novel of the utopian genre written in 23 chapters and from a third-person perspective, the story follows Jonasâ€™ life in his perfect society as he progresses from an innocent eleven-year old to a wise twelve-year-old Receiver of Memories. It is easy to wonder exactly how Lois Lowry came up with such a concept, and the truth is that â€œinspirations for The GiverÂ are so variedâ€Â that it can be challenging to give a short answer. As she states in detail in her 1994 Newbery Acceptance speech, her childhood in Japan, her college years, her fatherâ€™s aging and reaction to losing one of his daughters, and her parentsâ€™ attempts to adjust to constant moves all played a part in creating the storyline.Â In reference to her writing of The Giver, Lowry recalled, â€œIn the beginning to write The GiverÂ I created â€“ as I always do, in every book â€“ a world that existed only in my imagination â€“ the world of â€˜only us, only now.â€™ I tried to make Jonasâ€™s world seem familiar, comfortable, and safe, and I tried to seduce the reader. I seduced myself along the way. It did feel good, that world. I got rid of all the things I fear and dislike; all the violence, prejudice, poverty, and injustice, and I even threw in good manners as a way of life because I liked the idea of it.â€

Although Jonasâ€™ society is clearly different from our own, Lowry was also able to leave quite a few things up to interpretation without confusing her readers. For example, it is ambiguous whether animals actually exist in Jonasâ€™ society, while the lack of feelings and sexual attraction within his community seem to hint at the possibility of artificial insemination. Many have also been puzzled by the novelâ€™s ambiguous conclusion, but Lowry has remained adamant about not shedding light upon the storyâ€™s ending. She states: â€œI really believe that every reader creates his/her own book, bringing to the written words their own experiences, dreams, wishes, passions. For me to explain everything from my own viewpoint limits that experience for the reader.â€

Regardless of the interpretations, Lowry seems to have fashioned many of her novels with certain concepts in mind. As she says: â€œMy books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections.â€ She has stated that The GiverÂ â€œspeak[s] to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.â€

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Country	USA
Author	Natacha Pavlov
Binding	Kindle Edition
Format	Kindle eBook
IsAdultProduct
Label	Hyperink - The Giver Book Summary and Analysis
Manufacturer	Hyperink - The Giver Book Summary and Analysis
NumberOfPages	40
PublicationDate	2012-07-26
Publisher	Hyperink - The Giver Book Summary and Analysis
ReleaseDate	2012-07-26
Studio	Hyperink - The Giver Book Summary and Analysis

Quicklet on Lois Lowry's The Giver (CliffNotes-like Summary & Analysis)

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