A Brief Review Of The Giver By Lois Lowry

When I was in the eighth grade, I read “The Giver” by Lois Lowry for the very first time. The story follows a young boy, Jonas, through his life in a seemingly utopian society, that has eliminated many issues the modern world now faces. In this world, every individual looks and behaves similarly. The world is seen only in black-and-white, with no color existing at all. When children are just twelve years old, they receive the job that they will perform for the rest of their lives, until they are eventually “released” from society. The jobs range from “birthmothers” to “The Receiver of Memory”. Although I never truly enjoyed many school-assigned readings, “The Giver” quickly became one of my favorite books. Since I was first assigned to read it in the eighth grade, I have read it three more times. Since the book was published in 1993, it has sold over ten million copies.
In 2014, “The Giver” was adapted into a film. Phillip Noyce, the director that is well known for his work for movies including “Salt” and “Patriot Games”, directed the film. Many well-known cast members star in the movie, including Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Jeff Bridges, and Taylor Swift.
In the community that the movie portrays, children are raised in a family unit. In the main character’s case, his family unit includes his
Taking on this role entails that Jonas will “receive” all of the memories from the times before his community was created. Additionally, the receiver accepts all new memories from the community and the entire world. Through the process of receiving these memories, Jonas realizes that the world has not always been so “perfect.” He begins to see his world in complete color and acquires many new emotions and desires, including