Thoughts on "The Giver" by Lois Lowry (Charlotte Lin)

    This story of a world in which nearly the entire community is unaware of what lies beyond their home was a compelling read. Although I regrettably watched the movie before reading the book, this novel was one I'm glad that I read and would recommend.

    In the beginning of the book, the setting seems to be a utopia of sorts. All the characters know exactly what the rest of their lives look like. How they should feel, what they should say, and how they should act due to the strict rules set in their society. The government decides everything in order to keep this community organized. Your name, your parents, your job, who you will start a family with, your entire future. They determine every aspect of your life, and free will is basically non-existent. Yet the characters don't realize this because they never even knew what it was in the first place. It's not until the story progresses that you start to get a sense of corruption and realize that this system may not have been what it seemed. This was one of my favorite parts about reading Lois Lowry's writing. As the story unravels, it's thrilling to read about their world and how it reveals to be unexpected, for both you and the main character, Jonas who is just a 12-year-old boy.

    Another part of this novel that stood out to me is the comparisons and similarities to our real world. The purpose of this seemingly utopia is for one thing: fear of free will which would ultimately lead to chaos and pain. After I finished reading The Giver, it left me with a lot to think about. Without free will, we are robbed of choosing our path. What becomes of your life is not yours to determine anymore, so is it really still your life if you don't even have a say in what you do with it? With free will, we are granted the luxury of choosing, which could be both wonderful and devastating. Do you choose to be truthful or to cheat? Selfishness, empathy, peace, violence, unity, war. Ultimately, this would result in many beautiful occurrences, but likely just as many horrific events. In our country right now, you can see how free will allows us to feel and experience so much. It allows joy and enriches our lives, but also often causes pain and suffering. 

    I will always wonder what would’ve been different for me if I had read the book first, prior to watching the film. Honestly, I think that because I was so disappointed by the movie I was much less motivated to read and fully immerse myself into this novel, no matter how much my sister hyped it up and told me I’d love it. I did like it, but I wasn’t able to be as captivated by the many plot twists, and enjoy the character development because I’d already been expecting it. I think I would have been more mesmerized by this book, which is very well written, if I had experienced it with a fresher and more open mind. Despite everything, I still greatly appreciate this work of literature and if you decide to read it (which I encourage you to), please do not make the same mistake I did of watching the movie first.

-Charlotte