The Giver by Lois Lowry

Mary Angelique A. Auman
English 10
Mr. Swenson
August 11, 2014
The Giver by Lois Lowry

Set in a community which was controlled by the Elders sometime in the future. Jonas was an eleven year old protagonist who was mature and really responsible. He became the Receiver of Memory for their community when he turned twelve. The Giver was an old man who transferred his old job of receiving the community’s memories to Jonas. He trained Jonas how to be a receiver and told him everything about the job.
In this community the Elders were the ones controlling the people. They believed in the sameness in the community, so the people you meet in this community were pretty much the same and boring. The Elders were the ones who chose everything in your life, like who you’re going to marry, who you received as children, and what job you’re going to have. There were no wars, diseases, hunger, poverty, or pain that existed in this community.
Jonas turned twelve and was now going to be assigned to a job in their community. He was anxious as to what job might be assigned to him in their community. As he saw his friends get their jobs he was wondering what his job might be. But, at last he was called and he learned that his job was going to be the Receiver of Memory for their community. He got this job because he was the most compatible for the job. He had similar light eyes as the past receiver. Apropos of the light eyes, Jonas was also taking care of this young sick child named Gabriel who has same characteristics as him. But, if the baby doesn't get better, he was going to be released from the community.
Jonas was now the Receiver, he received a set of rules. They told him that he wasn't allowed to talk about his Receiver "training" with anyone. He could ask anyone questions including rude ones and he was permitted to lie.
Now, Jonas started his training with the old man, he was now called the Giver. His training included a lot of receiving series memories from the Giver. This consisted past memories of the Giver, about humanity, how it was back then and how his community was established. The first memory he received was sledding down a hill in the snow. During his training he experienced things he never had before like happiness and sadness.
His training totally changed his point of view on the world. A year has passed in his training and he discovered that the “release” that happens to sick people and the people who breaks the rules was really just a lethal injection. He and the Giver then made a plan to escape to “Elsewhere” – place like ours: with happiness, music, sadness and death. They also planned to release these memories to the community to show them what it was like to have their own choices and how to be free.
Their plan was really great, but then Jonas found out that the baby they were taking care was going to be “released”. So now his planned changed and he had to escape in a bicycle with the baby. Days and days later, Jonas and Gabriel are now starving to death and he keeps giving the baby good memories, like sunshine to the baby to help them keep going. Jonas couldn’t keep on biking because of the heavy snow so he climbed to this hill and found a sled. They went downhill and Jonas heard music and twinkling lights. He thought this was the place where they will be welcomed and be happy.
I thought this was kind of interesting and I would really like to know what had happen to Jonas and Gabriel, and the community. But I thought this was what makes the book interesting because you could make your own ending.