December Read/Lydia

Title : The Giver

Author : Lois Lowry

Jonas lives in a perfect world called Sameness. There is no war, pain, poverty and worries. Everything is under control in Sameness; weather, job, applying for newchild, matching of spouses, even release to Elsewhere of old people.

Every child has almost the same childhood. In their first year, new children receive their names and families in an annual ceremony.  They go to the same childcare center and school. Seven year-olds wear front-buttoned jackets. This is their first sign of independence. Eight year-olds start volunteer activities for their community. Nine year-olds are given their own bicycle as a powerful emblem of moving. Twelve year-olds are assigned future roles in the community.

Jonas has been selected as the next Receiver of Memory when he turned twelve. He trained from the previous Receiver of Memory, the Giver. Only the Giver holds the memories of true pain and pleasure of life that was existent before Sameness. He can give advice from his past memories when his community is in unexpected trouble. It is the most honored role in the community but also a very lonely and painful job. The Receiver of Memory is exempted from the rules in community but not permitted to discuss anyone about the memories. Jonas has received the memories of pain and pleasure of life from the Giver for almost a year. However he was confused and affected by sorrowful and happy memories that he has never faced before in his community. He wanted to bring those happy memories to the community.

Jonas’s father is a Nurturer who has cared for newchildren born in the previous year. He brings a new baby named Gabriel every night because he isn’t well and needs extra care. One day Jonas saw his father releasing an undeveloped newborn baby and was shocked that release to Elsewhere meant death.

A few days later Jonas has heard that the community decided to release Gabriel to Elsewhere next morning. That night Jonas has taken Gabriel was on a bike and escaped from the community. For the first few days, Jonas has heard the planes search for them. The planes stopped chasing as they ran away, but Jonas and Gabriel now faced other problems: lack of food and cold weather, farther. Now Gabriel cried because he was hungry and cold and terribly weak. Jonas cried because he was afraid that he can not save Gabriel. At last, Jonas could not pedal his bike any more. So he began to walk up the snow hill holding the already cold and weak Gabriel. He reached to the top and imagined to slide down the hill on a sled. He went downwards and downwards and suddenly he saw a shine through the windows of rooms, where families created and kept memories. For the first time, he heard something that he has never heard before, music.  He heard people singing.

This book was very interesting. I could not stop reading after I picked up this book. I think Jonas’s community seemed ordinary in the beginning, but I realized the community has set up everything including human emotions. There were no negative values but also positive values like color, music, literature etc. Because the community allowed only practical values, it didn’t have true experiences. This book is asking me “Does practicality bring happiness?”