Dystopian fiction aimed at adults has been around for ages, but The Giver, written by Lois Lowry in 1993, was one of the first really popular dystopian novels aimed at a middle school audience It won the 1994 Newbery Award and appears on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000." The book has sold over 12 million copies, and has been adapted into a play, a musical, an opera, and most recently a movie. The Giver is part of a quartet of books (Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son) in which Lowry creates other similarly dysfunctional societies, and ultimately informs us of the outcome for Jonas and Gabe.
Although The Giver was one of the first (and many feel the best) dystopian novels for young people, in the last few years YA literature has been flooded with dystopian series such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, Matched, and Uglies. Here are a few questions for you to ponder. Feel free to respond to any or all of them.
Although The Giver was one of the first (and many feel the best) dystopian novels for young people, in the last few years YA literature has been flooded with dystopian series such as The Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, Matched, and Uglies. Here are a few questions for you to ponder. Feel free to respond to any or all of them.
- How did Lois Lowry lead the way for this new flock of dystopian fiction authors? How do you feel the more recent novels compare with The Giver in terms of character, setting, theme, style?
- For you, what was the most emotionally powerful event in The Giver, and why?
- Jonas was just your age when he became "the Receiver." Is that a job you feel you could take on? If so, why. If not, what other job might you be good at within the community?
- What did you think of the ending of The Giver? Were you satisfied or disappointed, and why? Do you think you might want to read the rest of the series sometime?