Teaching creative writing is always eye-opening. Over time, we’ve worked with mythopoeia, dystopia, fantasy, adventure, and mystery, requiring us to come up with all kinds of mentor texts and examples. During the April to June 2023 edition of the programme, somehow, we kept coming back to The Giver by Lois Lowry, a book I had not read. I finally remedied that!
The Giver is a powerful dystopian story, one that fills the reader with yearning. Jonas lives in the perfect community. Every morning, each family unit discusses dreams. Every night, family units discuss feelings. There is no loss, there’s no needless pain, and there’s no suffering. The community functions like a well-oiled machine. Each individual has a clear role to play, and when it is time, they are released from the community.
Even as we read about this perfect, comfortable life, we have a niggling sense of apprehension. There seems to be no space for impulsiveness, for true joy, or for love.
And with Jonas, we find out why. When he is selected to be the Receiver-in-training, he receives memories, not just of his community, but of the whole world. He learns exactly what his community has sacrificed in order to achieve predictability, safety and comfort. And he wonders whether the price they’ve paid is too high.
A story that asks uncomfortable questions, The Giver makes us think about what it means to be human. What, really, is a perfect society, and do we want it? Powerful and pacy, it takes us through difficult emotions, a sense of helplessness, and finally shows us that courage and love can help us overcome anything, no matter what the odds.
| Title | The Giver |
| Author | Lois Lowry |
| Tags | Dystopia, Classic, Middle-Grade |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4.5 |
| Age-group | 11+ |
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