Introduction
Lois Lowry, in this novel for young adults, tells the story of Jonas and his quest for giving back memories to his people, using, as main themes, memory and its importance, pain and pleasure as directly related and the essential fact of one being individual; for this approach, the author uses a structure of contrast and a simple language, which is accessible for the young audience to understand easily, presenting a plot in which one can have a vision of absence of these aspects, so that the motivation for having these becomes lit inside the young readers.
Theme
On this novel, the author uses, as main themes, memory and its importance, pain and pleasure together with their direct relation to one another and the essential individuality that is meant to be inherent to each person.
Memory plays a basic role in our life, being the one that makes us remember past experiences, which on their turn bring feelings, both good and bad. In the story, the absence of memory from every citizen of the community keeps them from feeling those bad feelings: pain, grief, suffering; but it also makes them unaware of good feelings too, making their lives both peaceful and harmonious and, at the same time, empty of any emotion: “Most of us even lose track of how old we are as time passes, though information is in the Hall of Open Records What's important is the preparation for adult life, and the training you'll receive in your Assignment.” (17). Furthermore, the absence of memories keeps one from remembering past mistakes; so these can occur consecutively.
Along with this theme, Lois also attends the relation between pain and pleasure: when we experience pain, we can after feel the opposite, pleasure, and vice-versa; but none of this is possible without the memory, which grants us access to those past experiences, in order to be able to value them and treasure the present moment: “It hurt a lot () but I'm glad you gave it to me. () And now I understand better. What it meant, that there would be pain.” (60).
And this is exactly what happens in the community: without memories, no one remembers no emotion; thus, the citizens are empty of any emotional experience: “You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience” (63).
These memories, together with the experiences of pain and pleasure, mold our lives and evolution, which make way to the other main theme of this novel: individuality that each person has that makes everyone different among them; in this story, such individuality simply does not exist, being each life equal as the following one, empty of any personal meaning: “Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness.” (95).
Symbol
Inside this novel, one can find three main symbols: Gabriel, the new child; the sled; the river.
Gabriel represents the birth of hope and the possibility of a new start, both for Jonas and for the community. As a child, Gabriel is open to learn new definitions and aspects of life and how to live it, different from the ones that constitute the roots of the community, starting a new generation: “Gabriel had been labeled Uncertain and given the additional year.” (19). Jonas’ attempt to rescue Gabriel from the ways of the community, by taking him along is the symbol of change.
The very first memory Jonas receives from The Giver, a sled, is present in the novel to symbolize the journey Jonas undergoes; it is red, so that it represents a sense of new and of life of feelings and new ideas discovered by him. Just like a ride on the sled, Jonas experiences both good memories and bad ones, just like the feelings a sled ride, being somewhat dangerous, may bring that are pain and pleasure: “He was free to enjoy the breathless glee that overwhelmed him: the speed, the clear cold air, the total silence, the feeling of balance and excitement and peace.”(82).
At the end of the story, when Jonas finds an actual sled, this one is meant to symbolize the entrance to the new world, where there is color and emotion.
The river, goes through the community and goes on, reaching Elsewhere, is the symbol for escape: the exit from the boundaries that are built within that community. It is where little Caleb drowns, an event that had no predictability or control (“The community was extraordinarily safe, each citizen watchful and protective of all children. But somehow the first Caleb had wandered away unnoticed, and had fallen into the river” (27)), and it inspired the idea of change on both Jonas and The Giver.
Additionally, the aspects of vision, nakedness and release also have different symbolism in this story: vision is different between the citizens and Jonas, who is capable of seeing color, which symbolizes the ability to perceive complex emotions and sensations that are inaccessible to the community: “He found that he was often angrythat they were satisfied with their lives which had none of the vibrance his own was taking on.” (99). Nakedness is related to bare emotions: the forbiddance of seeing someone naked in the community is an expression of the emptiness of emotions: “And the nakedness, too. It was against the rules for children or adults to look at another's nakedness” (20); it also represents freedom of mind, from all the society norms that rule the community; finally, it represents innocence. Release, inside the community, represents death, which citizens believe that means exiting the community when dying and going to Elsewhere. Of course, it becomes a source of fear, because the citizens do not wish to exit the community: “For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure.” (2). Later on, Jonas reestablishes its real definition, as freedom from the old rules and start of a new way of life.
Language
Lois Lowry, for sake of the audience she aims to reach for: a young adult one, uses a language that is simple, with direct ideas and not that many figures of speech. This way, what she intends to transmit is easily assimilated by the young readers.
Furthermore, not struggling to understand what the author wants to say, they are also more motivated to read the complete book, enjoying it much more.
Additionally to this, it also portrays the same language precision that is demanded to every citizen of Jonas’ community, who are supposed to carefully express themselves: “No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals." (20).
The high tone used by the author is also an expression of the rich world of new experiences that Jonas meets within his journey.
Structure
All throughout the novel, all is seen from Jonas eyes and vision of things; thus, the reader is limited on information that is available only to Jonas; the reader does not see what Jonas doesn’t see.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this novel for young adults tells a story, seen through the eyes of a eleven-year-old boy, as a symbol of change and evolution.
It intends to open up the new generations’ eyes to the problems of society and the restraining rules that command it and that may become a problem and an obstacle to a better life and world.
Thus, the author tells this story in an elevated tone, in order to call out the attention of young generations for this and motivate them to think about it, to start creating their own ideas about it, their own opinions, not just following the previous generations, but being the beginning of a new era.
Reference
Lowry, Lois. “The Giver”. Dell Laurel-Leaf, Random House Children’s Books. 1993. 21st of January 2013.
