What makes you you? Is it the things you love, the things you do, the people you surround yourself with? Well, in the world of Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal-winning novel THE GIVER, not only would this question not matter, but it wouldn’t even make sense --- the Community lacks color, emotion and memory and strives for equality through “sameness.”
This 1993 book has made waves since it first hit the shelves, receiving numerous awards and being praised for making readers think deeply about society, individuality and making change. However, it has also attracted negative attention for violence, sexual content and even “occult themes.”
Below, author Amber Keyser (THE WAY BACK FROM BROKEN) and Teen Board members Asia H. and Levi V. talk about their reactions to THE GIVER and why they find the book so meaningful.
Do you remember when you read this book for the first time? How old were you? Did you read it for school or for pleasure?
Amber Keyser: I honestly don’t remember when I read THE GIVER for the first time, probably right around the time it was first published in 1993. What I do know is that the story grabbed hold of me and snaked under my skin. Last year, I had the pleasure of seeing an Oregon Children’s Theater production of THE GIVER. It was amazing!
Asia H:I first read THE GIVER about three years ago when I was in 6th grade. THE GIVER was an assigned reading book in my Gifted and Talented class, but once we got halfway through the book, all my classmates stopped reading except for me. At that point, it was basically a pleasure book because we stopped discussing it in class. Most of my classmates turned their copies in but I refused to --- I really wanted to read it to the end.
Levi V: I first read THE GIVER as a 13-year-old in my eighth grade English class. I read it for school with a partner and made a project video about it. Even though it was a school assignment and not a personal choice, I ended up thoroughly enjoying the book and had a lot of fun with the project.
What do you like about this book, and how would you persuade somebody else to read it?
AK: Life --- real life --- is messy, complicated, confusing and heartbreaking. It is also vivid, exhilarating, tender and joyful. What I love most about THE GIVER is that Lois Lowry knows this. She exposes the lie, often told to children, that if you are good and if you follow the rules then nothing bad will happen to you and life will be easy.
In the book, Jonas is assigned to be the Receiver of Memory. During his sessions with the old man called the Giver, Jonas comes to know just how much hurt there is in the world, but he also experiences the rich exuberance of love and the heart-full-to-bursting splendor of the world around him. He learns that real life is hard but glorious and that a life sheltered from this terrible beauty has its own emptiness.
This is my kind of truth telling. When I press a copy of THE GIVER into the hands of a reader, I tell them, “You are old enough and smart enough to know the truth.”
AH: THE GIVER sticks out in my head because of the sameness of all characters and how there's no such thing as creativity or colors. I like this because it takes on a different idea than all the dystopian books I've read. Usually there's a little color and creativity allotted, and control is gained through the government, but in this book, control is gained through taking away individuality and memories.
I would persuade someone else to read this book by first asking them what they like for fun and asking them to share some of their favorite memories. After they tell me that information, I'd tell them to imagine their life without color, emotions or individuality. I'd then tell them that that's what everyday life is like in THE GIVER. Hopefully by then, they'd be interested.
LV: I liked the author’s writing style throughout the course of the book. Louis Lowry is exceptional at developing her characters and bringing them to life. It was great to see how Jonas changed and matured throughout the course of the book, from a young, naïve kid to a strong-willed, confident young adult. I would persuade someone to read it by telling them the storyline and how it makes many references to life and society today. It is a great read for any age and background because the book shows the importance of differences and diversity.
A Colorado parent wanted to ban THE GIVER by Lois Lowry from elementary school classrooms because he thought it would “sow the seeds of school shootings by encouraging suicide and disregard for human life.” If you had the chance to respond to that quote, what would you say?
AK: In THE GIVER, the Elders of the Community shelter the people from pain by withholding the past from them. Yet without the knowledge of memory, the people have no moral compass. They follow directions. They do what they are told even if that means releasing the old and the weak into death.
As I said before, life is both hard and messy. Hiding this from young readers does not protect them. Instead it leaves them vulnerable. We need to wrestle with difficult truths in order to make good choices and to find our way. Reading books like THE GIVER provides us safe ways to acknowledge and understand the harder parts of life. Discussing the many troubling issues raised by THE GIVER leads to resilience in the face of trauma and ultimately compassion for others.
AH: This book doesn't encourage suicide or disregard for life. If anything, it helps us see how precious life is and how we should value both the big and the little things in life that bring us happiness.
LV: THE GIVER places more emphasis on the importance of the human experience than almost any other book I’ve read. Because the people in the book don’t have the things we take for granted --- color, music, friends, etc. --- it makes us appreciate these things more and wonder what life would be without them. When I read the book, it made me want to experience life to its fullest and have more gratitude for all the senses and experiences I enjoy.
You need to give the protagonist of this book a book recommendation. What would you recommend, and why?
AK: I want Jonas to read HATCHET by Gary Paulsen so he will know that he, like Brian, can survive alone in the wilderness outside the Community. I will give him THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett so he can read about Mary and Colin finding strength and purpose while tending their plants. I will also offer FREDERICK by Leo Lionni to show Jonas that memory does not have to be a burden. And if it doesn’t seem too forward, I will hand him a copy of my own novel THE WAY BACK FROM BROKEN, which tells the story of two young people who find a way to put the pieces back together again --- a task that each of us will face during this lifetime.
AH: I recommend ME & EARL & THE DYING GIRL [by Jesse Andrews] to the protagonist, Jonas. ME, EARL, AND THE DYING GIRL is about two teenaged boys who make videos for fun. When they learn that one of their classmates is diagnosed with leukemia and probably won't make it, they try to make her last months the best it could be. I recommend this book because it would give Jonas insight to what a normal teenager's life was like before the Communities were created and sameness was enforced. It'd also give a little insight into a type of disease that would have been removed in Jonas' world.
LV: I would recommend the book HUMANS OF NEW YORK by Brandon Stanton to the main character, Jonas. The book broadcasts the stories of dozens of people and can be very emotional at times. It would be a good book for Jonas to read because it would show him all the hope, sadness and joy that comes with a normal human experience.
