The Giver

I just recently read The Giver. This is a book I recommend to everyone. If you are not familiar with this book it is about a functioning Utopian society;a perfect world as envisioned by its creators. It has eliminated fear, pain, hunger, illness, conflict, and hatred—all things that most of us would like to eliminate in our own society. It is written from the point of view of Jonas, an 11 year old boy living in a futuristic society of sameness. There are no choices to make so no one ever makes a wrong decision. Everyone is polite and no one feels much pain. There are pills given to suppress pain and other feelings that are normal and healthy. At age 12 everyone is assigned an occupation, from doctors, lawyers, teachers to birth mothers. Birth mothers are the only ones that have the children, and are never permitted to see them. The babies are sent to the Nurturing Center until they are placed into families which have previously applied and have been approved to receive them. Each family is allowed 2 children, one boy and one girl. When the children are grown, the family unit dissolves. As you age you are placed in an old person's home until you are "released".

At the ceremony of the Twelves, Jonas is given the high honor of Receiver of the Memories. When the community went to sameness they released all memories of pain, war, love, colors, hunger and joy. The Giver places his hands on Jonas's back and begins to give him memories. The story is about how he deals with the realization that without any pain one cannot understand joy. No matter how delightful an experience is, you cannot value the pleasure it gives you unless you have some memory of a time when you have suffered.

This is a must read. Lowery was inspired to write this book after a visit to her aging father who had lost most of his long term memory. The major theme is about how important our memories and experiences are to us.