The Giver

Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. 1993. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel Leaf. ISBN: 0440237688.

Plot Summary
Jonas, who is twelve years old, lives in perfect world where there is no sickness, no poverty, and no pains. He lives in a world where everything is mechanical and automatic; everything is already set in place and decided for everyone by a committee of elders. He and his sister were assigned as children to their parents to build a family unit. Nobody questions this world and everybody follows set of strict rules to run the community smoothly. When Jonas turns twelve he is assigned the honorable role of “Receiver of Memory”. Jonas slowly understands the depth and challenges of this role; he starts questioning his world. Through his teacher, the Giver, Jonas sees the world as nobody as seen.

Critical Analysis
Through the story of Jonas, the author, drives the readers through a fantasy world where nothing is normal. This book could be considered scientific fiction because its a world where everything from climate, to surroundings, to birth and death is controlled by human beings. This fantasy is based on the Utopian idea of a perfect world. The author, Lois Lowry, does an excellent job of creating and describing this fantasy world. Bits and pieces of this perfect world are disclosed throughout the novel keeping the element of awe until the end. The story is engaging and suspenseful from the beginning to the end. The ending is especially thought provoking keeping the readers guessing about what happened or what will happen; some readers might even find it unsatisfying. The story, especially the end, can spark a lot of rich discussions.