Casey Gabrielle B.

Lopez
12- Excellence
Reaction Paper

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Imagine a place where there is no color, no choice; a place

where individuality and freedom has been traded for sameness and
security. Can you exchange yourself? How long can you take it?
Because in Utopia, Jonas sees everything perfectly until he became
the receiver of memory. The Giver, based on the Newbery Award-
winning book by Lois Lowry, is a sci-fi meditation on what it means
to be alive. One of the most important themes in this book is the
significance of memory to human life. Lowry was inspired to write
The Giver after a visit to her aging father, who had lost most of his
long-term memory. It is all about reorganized society where
memories of the people were erased and held by the so called “The
Giver” to keep the peace and unity in the society.

The Giver follows eleven-year-old Jonas in a futuristic walled

community. The community has annihilated pain, war, fear, and all
other positive and negative emotions. Everyone there is happy with
their life but has forgotten what they were like and the feelings,
colors, and experiences they have lost. Jonas' career is decided at
the beginning of the novel. This sets him on a perilous path that
leads to terrifying revelations about his neighborhood, family, and
forgotten areas of human history. The Giver, Jonas' mentor,
advises him on whether to live with his knowledge or depart for a
better life. By the end of the novel, it's clear that he possesses an
innate ability to recognize and understand the emotions of people,
as well as a unique viewpoint on life. When he looks at an object,
it appears to be evolving. The lack of color in this environment
becomes immediately apparent to him.

Among the many books I've tried to read, this is the only one
I've made it through to the end of. This clarifies why I love this
book so much. The narrative moved me deeply, and it altered the
way I see the world. I found this book to be quite entertaining
since, despite its intended audience of young readers, the plot is
sophisticated enough to hold the interest of adults. I found Jonas
to be a compelling protagonist because of how he went from being
a timid kid to someone willing to risk his future to aid the
community. Each of the characters went through the ups and
downs of growing up, from reluctance to take on more
responsibility to longing for independence as they adapted to their
new adult duties, and I found myself able to relate to many of these
experiences.

I was only able to read this book for a couple of hours because
the storyline was straightforward but still riveting, and the
characters were intriguing. The conclusion of The Giver is potent
because it leaves us with a decision to make about what it all
means; just as Jonas made a selfless decision for the benefit of the
community, you must also make a choice for yourself on what it all
means. If I were in Jonas' shoes, I believe I would act in the same
manner. In conclusion, I can say that it reawakened me to the risks
that are present when people choose conformity over individuality
and choose unquestioned security over freedom. This is something
I can say with certainty since I've seen thus scenario unfold in our
society as well.