The Giver (The Giver, #1)
byLois Lowry
I was completely drawn into the world Lois Lowry wrote, detailing the story of Jonas, the community he lived in and the Giver. The giver was a somewhat dystopian look into a society authoritatively constructed to remove danger's from it's citizen's lives. That meant loosing the freedom of choice, as those in power believed that those choices would be wrong so they would make them on your behalf, and design your life for you. It is a congruent society to the extreme, filled with "sameness" that would remove indiviudality and contruct well defined roles and responsibilties to contribute back into the community. The elder's of the society, however, realized that there are some things worth protecting that they themselves cannot burden, the memories of the past, and the wisdom and all the pain they come with. Commentary on a world without danger or painFreedom of choiceCongruency to the extremeA limited range of emotions squeezes the boundary of the world you perceive
Motivations to Read
The Book club topic of the month was "Congruency", in agreement or accordance. I believe this book might have been recommended for some kind of summer reading at some point in time, but I have avoided reading it for years because of certain misperceptions that I've have matured from in later years. I try to go against the grain, and write my own script, so I am interested in how the concepts speak to me in this book.
3 Reasons to Read
- Commentary on a world without danger or pain.
- The importance of freedom of choice and individuality.
- How a limited range of emotions can significantly limit the experiences you have in the world.
Notable Quotes
“We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.” Lois Lowry
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.” Lois Lowry
“He knew that there was no quick comfort for emotions like those. They were deeper and they did not need to be told. They were felt.” Lois Lowry
“- My instructors in science and technology have taught us about how the brain works. It's full of electrical impulses. It's like a computer. If you stimulate one part of the brain with an electrode, it...- They know nothing.” Lois Lowry
“The community of the Giver had achieved at such great price. A community without danger or pain. But also, a community without music, color or art. And books.” Lois Lowry
The Giver (The Giver, #1) Notes & Summary
