The Giver and Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry Comparative Essay by Aannievu
Lois Lowry is known for her dystopian novels for young adults. One out of many novels is her work ‘The Giver’. The Giver exposes the story of Jonas, a boy who questions his society’s standard of living. Jonas’ people tend to have false perceptions of their world being supposedly ‘perfect’. On the other hand, ‘Gathering Blue’ – a companion novel to The Giver – reveals the story of orphaned and handicapped Kira who also questions her society and is led to provide evidence to the Council of Guardians that she is worthy of existence in her disdainful society. Both of these texts are known as dystopian fictions and are a form of sci-fi. The inclusion of narrative conventions such as plot, setting, characterisation and theme convey that these novels are a work of dystopian fiction.
‘The Giver’ and ‘Gathering Blue’ are both novels that contain evident features of a dystopian fiction. A dystopia is an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. However, a dystopian fiction is set in a dystopia thus comments on our own world and influences readers to fear to live in that society. Examples of a dystopian society could vary from post-apocalyptic; where there has been a past devastating event that changed and manipulated the society to an alternative version of our reality which we see the difference in the standard of living in comparison to ours.
The setting incorporated in The Giver demonstrates that it is clearly a dystopian fiction as it presents an alternative version of our society. Jonas’ world made the choice of living in Sameness – a place where neither warfare, starvation or poverty, emotions, nor freedom exist. Sameness without a doubt restricts one’s diverse individuality, coloured visuals and emotions. This is shown through the extract, “Our people made that choice to go into Sameness… before my time… we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences… but we had to let go
‘The Giver’ and ‘Gathering Blue’ are both novels that contain evident features of a dystopian fiction. A dystopia is an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. However, a dystopian fiction is set in a dystopia thus comments on our own world and influences readers to fear to live in that society. Examples of a dystopian society could vary from post-apocalyptic; where there has been a past devastating event that changed and manipulated the society to an alternative version of our reality which we see the difference in the standard of living in comparison to ours.
The setting incorporated in The Giver demonstrates that it is clearly a dystopian fiction as it presents an alternative version of our society. Jonas’ world made the choice of living in Sameness – a place where neither warfare, starvation or poverty, emotions, nor freedom exist. Sameness without a doubt restricts one’s diverse individuality, coloured visuals and emotions. This is shown through the extract, “Our people made that choice to go into Sameness… before my time… we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences… but we had to let go