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Eric Li
Ms. Dearing
ENGL 106: 742
16 October 2014
A Critique: The Giver
If you havent noticed recently, dystopias are booming. No, not literal dystopians, but the
genre and theme itself. From BioShock to District 13, the idea of dystopias has become
inherent in the entertainment industry, reaching out to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
One of the quintessential dystopians is the novel The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry. Lowry, an
American writer, successfully tells the story of a young boys escape from conformity, defining
the genre of dystopian literature and hitting the bestseller lists among other numerous awards
including the prestigious Newbery Medal. The Giver is, however, encircled in a pool of
contemporary dystopian literature; nevertheless, it is evident that the novel bestows incredible
symbolism and morals that make it unique and definitely worth the read.
In The Giver, society is devoid of reflection and foresight; everything is lived in the
present. However, the present is rigidly controlled by an authoritative committee resulting in no
suffering, war, hunger, color, music, or even love. This committee, or The Elders, controls the
life of each individual in the community in regards to spouses, children, and ones job. Although
there is no suffering, it is evident this society lacks emotion and choice, prime dystopian traits.
The soon-to-be twelve year old protagonist Jonas, however, does not realize this as he is merely
one of many victims. As Jonas is approaching the age of twelve, he becomes apprehensive about
the Ceremony of Twelve, a special ceremony where all twelves year olds are assigned a job
perfectly suited to him/her. At the ceremony, everyone is assigned a job except Jonas, leaving

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him anxious about his future. At the very end of the ceremony, Jonas name is called and he is
assigned with the highly honored position of the Receiver of Memory. Although the community
is deprived of emotion or memory, the memories of the past are kept with one person who uses
the memories to advise the community on decisions similar to the past. As the Receiver, Jonas
will receive the memories from the Giver - hence the title. As Jonas begins his training, he
receives memories of physical and emotional pain as well as color, music, and intense emotions.
Overtime, Jonas slowly gains more consciousness of the dystopia that has continuously existed
around him.
The general theme of The Giver is quite similar to those of other dystopian fictions;
they all portray an unideal society where people lack choice and freedom. Yes, these overlapping
themes can make The Giver a little dry and predictable during the process of reading, but what
the reader gets out of reading The Giver is anything but dry; its incredible morals are what set
The Giver apart from the other dystopian novels.
Memories play a large role in The Giver, even though they are nonexistent in Jonas
community. One of my favorite quotes from The Giver that summarizes the importance of
memory is, The worst part of holding memories is not the pain. Its the loneliness of it.
Memories need to be shared (Lowry 157). Allow one to reflect upon a few memories that have
changed ones life - maybe grand achievements, or even just simple accomplishments. Now
imagine if all those memories, good or bad, were ripped away from an individual. How would
one feel? Granted, one might feel relieved to forget about the troubled past, but one will have lost
a large part of ones identity. The people in Jonas community dont feel this loss. Every day that
passes is a day that passes without remembrance or reflection. Through the text of The Giver,
Jonas development in his memory training allows him to realize the importance of memory; he

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realizes that although memories hold a lot of pain, they are a source of wisdom. These memories
are what makes Jonas role as the Receiver so physically and emotionally demanding, but also
incredibly enlightening. As Jonas gathers memories everyday, he experiences lessons in pain and
enjoyment that his emotionally-lacking society never taught him: that without memory there is
no pain, but there is also no happiness. As Jonas gains greater understanding of reality day-byday, he begins to realize what the people around him are missing; he wants to share the memories
he has received but he cant. From this we can learn that memories are meant to be shared. The
value of the memories of a community is far greater than the memories of a single individual.
Furthermore, the collective knowledge of a generation can easily be passed onto the next.
Clearly, Lowry takes a grand stance on the importance of memories.
The theme of individuality is also inherent in The Giver as seen through the following
quote: How could someone not fit in? The community was so meticulously ordered, the choices
so carefully made (Lowry 43). By portraying a society without choices and personal identities,
Lowry is able to reach out to those who are struggling to find a distinct identity for themselves.
In comparison, another incredibly marketed dystopian fiction is The Hunger Games by
Suzanne Collins. This novel, too, bears great morals in the idea of individuality. However, in
The Hunger Games, there are different districts of different types of people, contrary to The
Givers idea of Sameness. With this difference in plot, The Hunger Games focuses more
on sacrifice and self-sufficiency for freedom rather than The Givers more holistic lesson on
ones individuality. Through The Giver, one can learn about celebrating differences between
people rather than discouraging or concealing those differences. These lessons make The Giver
an ideal novel for those seeking to find personal identities, especially the youth.

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A growing problem in todays youth is a lack of reading. With the digital revolution there
are more platforms than ever to read on, yet the number of youth readers continues to decline
(Gaiman). In the article, Why Our Future Depends On Libraries, Reading, and
Daydreaming, author Neil Gaiman writes about the important of reading, specifically the
fiction genre. He says, Firstly, its a gateway drug to reading...the drive to know what happens
next, to want to turn the page...forces you to learn new words, think new thoughts... The Giver
fits this description perfectly; it is a definite page turner that portrays a different society that
allows one to ponder upon ones current society. Even better, the simplicity of The Giver
allows readers of all ages to grasp unto the novels dysfunctionality and reflect upon ones very
own society. Gaiman continues to say, the second thing fiction does it to build empathy...you
alone, using your imagination, create a world. This is especially intrinsic to The Giver
because the society portrayed does not exist; readers must use their own imagination to create the
new world and predict what the characters within are feeling. By reading books like The Giver,
readers can develop the tool of empathy and realize that, the world doesnt have to be like it is
right now or how it is in The Giver; things can be different (Gaiman).
The Giver is a definite pickup; it beholds great morals, builds empathy, and better yet,
its perfect for all ages. With the booming of dystopian literature, The Giver does have the risk
of being overwhelmed. However, its unsurpassable qualities retain it among the Godfathers of
dystopian fiction, setting the bar high for impending pieces of work. In conclusion, if one is
looking to get into the world of fiction, The Giver is an exemplary choice. It will give one a
chance to embark on an unprecedented journey, entering the gateway of reading and finding
ones individuality; it will give one memories that stick with one forever.

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Works Cited
Gaiman, Neil. Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading, and Daydreaming. The
Guardian. 15 Oct 2013. Web
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. (1993). New York: Laurel-Leaf, 2002. Print.