Primary Source: The Giver by Lois Lowry
Summary: The Giver by Lois Lowry is a novel
that takes place in the future, in a society that has eliminated all evils. At
the age of twelve, all members are assigned a job based on their natural talents
and/or interests. The main character, Jonas, has just turned twelve and has
been assigned the job of “the receiver of memory”. In this job, Jonas receives the
memories of the past from “The Giver”, memories that are not shared with
everyone and must be passed down between “Givers” so they can be kept. While
this is happening, Jonas’ father is taking care of a newborn named Gabriel, who
is struggling to grow and develop at the same rate of the other babies, which
puts him at risk of being “released”; it is then that Jonas realizes being “released”
is to be killed. Jonas then embarks on a journey to save Gabriel, in which the
book ends with a very large cliffhanger.
Dystopian Genre: This novel exhibits a number of dystopian genre themes
and ideas. Basic characteristics including the lack of knowledge beyond their
own society, complete governmental control and an almost dehumanization of the
members of society all attribute to the dystopic utopia created in the novel.
The society is highly restrictive, administering medicine and controlling life
and death, as well as assigning spouses and children and giving little to know information
about anything besides what is of the utmost importance. The “total equality”
creates “no humanity” and in turn causes Jonas to rebel in the one way he can,
by trying to save Gabriel from being released.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.