The Giver by Lois Lowry details the life of a young boy Jonas who has been raised in a world that is seemingly perfect, a somewhat "utopian society"; until, he receives his life assignment that completely changes his perspective on the "ideal" world that he had once lived. While during his training as the new Receiver, Jonas is transmitted feelings of happiness, sadness, joy, pain, grief, hope, and love. He begins to question his trainer, the Giver, as to why his community has put away these memories of generations past.Jonas, while admirable of these memories that the Giver instills upon him, becomes frustrated with the fact that he cannot share what he has learned with others such as his family or friends, and also comes to learn about how his father participates in the Release of people, while planning to let go of Gabriel. While it is quite risky, Jonas kidnaps Gabe and journeys to the land of Elsewhere, with the intention of living within the world that was once known many years ago - before the community's robotic theme of "sameness" among all. Jonas is able to endure the pain through his recollection of memories of warmth and happiness, and is able to transfer them to Gabe.
As the story concludes, the final scene leaves Jonas with the first memory of snow and sledding down a hill, in which he and Gabe travel downhill, closer to the sound of music, closer to what he believes is people singing.
"Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he though he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo."
This left me feeling hopeful for Jonas and Gabe, yet uncertain about their fate. Did they make it to the world that once included people from past generations that Jonas had so desired? Or did they come to another utopian-like society in which humans did not experience true feelings or experiences.
What did Lowry want her readers to feel in The Giver? I felt somewhat secure, at first, in Jonas's utopian society where there was no crime, no sadness, no poverty. However, as Jonas receives memories from the Giver, he realizes that his world is somewhat corrupt and parallel to the past. My feelings changed quickly changed to frustration (as Jonas experienced while not being able to share his thoughts with others), and continually questioning as to why the future world would want to put away. Along with frustration, I experienced sadness, but still a sense of hope for Jonas and Gabe in that they would find a perfect "imperfect" world to live and feel secure in once again.
I found an interview with Lowry on ReadingRockets that was particulary interesting as Lowry wanted for readers to see Jonas to set out to change the world in which he lives in; and that is a message that is shown through Jonas's character development. However, she claims that some become frightened of the plot - I can see this as the events may be controversial.
It sounds like we had much of the same reactions to the story and its characters. I am hopeful that Jonas found true happiness in a world that included all that his former community did not. Lowry's portrayal of this kind of world was reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984. Orwell created a dystopian society that was totally controlled with countless flaws. The Giver depicts a more "perfect" world (at least that's how the characters are trained to see it) in a uptopian society, but Jonas learns of how flawed and incomplete his community is.
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