The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Published in 1993 by Delacorte Press
179 pages
Warning: This novel contains some language and brief dialogue about sex. Also, the ideas of Utopia and Euthanasia are presented.
Genre: Utopian society, Coming of Age, Family, Friends and Society

Lois Lowry presents a futuristic society living in a Utopia; each year when children turn one year older, they receive an item that marks their growth up until the age of eleven. At age twelve, the twelves receive their assignment they will fulfill for the rest of their life. This assignment will be what allows them to contribute and be a productive member of society. Jonas is given an assignment that, when spoken, a hush falls upon the community. It will be painful, but the young boy has little choice but to accept the assignment willingly. Or does he?

This book is fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed the insightful perspective regarding how fragile life is. Lowry provides, in this novel, a space where ethics and agency are closely scrutinized and examined. As Jonas discovers the truth of pain and pleasure of life, the reader also discovers the importance of self-guided choices and agency. As the family robotic-ally shares "feelings" by law, they create false feelings simply because they must say something. The people are numb to real feelings, and readers recognize feelings cannot simply be made up. I enjoyed this novel because it causes any reader to question the importance of free choice; we see in this novel that we really don't appreciate it until we have lost it.