Lowry wrote The Giver differently than the other books we have read in class. Instead of depicting a world which we should strive for, Lowry creates a world that epitomizes a dystopian society. Sexual feelings are repressed. The chosen citizens release (or murder) the elderly, the rebellious, and those that display anything that goes against the grain. The citizens are being controlled and no one realizes that being oppressed is detrimental to their well-being.
My belief is that Lowry is informing of what our world might become. She sees negative trends that could take away creativeness and ultimately eliminate happiness. Instead of telling the reader how to live his or her life, she depicts a world that the reader should regard with caution. I find this way of story telling to be the most effective. When I read 1984 it made me question the government and their double speak. Likewise, The Giver made me aware that our society is capable of controlling every aspect from sex to occupation. This is not a world that I want to live in, and it is not one that Lowry wants to live in.
When Jonas and the Giver finally devise their plan to give back the memories, Lowry is freeing the community. She is telling us that it is not too late for the people in the book to turn back and it is not too late for us. At least not yet...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2hHRqF5zRM
I like what you say about Lowry freeing the community, and your thoughts about what kind of society Lowry wasnt to live in. The community does not want to be freed. The people have chosen to live in ignorance of the Giver's wisdom and to hide behind certain constructions of language (i.e. "released" instead of killed)because they believe that technological and social control will make the majority safer and happier. But their safety and happiness comes at the expense of members of society who deviate from the norm, which Lowry definitely objects to across many of her texts. Lowry also seems to make a case for freedom and honesty over comfort. The people of the community do not want the memories, but Jonas and the Giver insist that they take the good with the bad. In being protected from pain and from difference, the people revert to a kind of innocence. Lowry illustrates that some suffering must be allowed for the moral sense to develop and function properly.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you point out the book 1984, as The Giver also reminded me of this too. To elaborate on Aimee's point, I think the fact that this community relies on technology so much is a direct attack on ours today. If you think about it, our dependence on technology is a scary thought. Not having a cell phone for a week for some is the end of the world as well as the lack of internet strength in a certain area. These used to be luxuries at one point and now we can't think of a world without these things. Essentially, what man has created can also be the means to which it becomes his downfall. Lowry aims to show us the importance of real experiences, as Jonas comes to understand; these cannot be replaced with technology or shared memories.
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