In Praise of Banned Books, day 4: The Giver

2008 at 9am     Posted by Rebecca Schinsky

Lois Lowry’s The Giver holds a special place in my heart because it is the first book I remember reading that was about something more than entertainment. When I was twelve years old, my sixth grade teacher read it out loud to the class, and I couldn’t wait to have my own copy, to read and re-read and to explore the power of books to change the way I looked at the world.  It was the first of many unforgettable reading experiences, and I was so happy to have Banned Books Week as a reason to re-read it.

Eleven-year-old Jonas lives in a world in which every decision is made for him, and every behavior is regulated. His parents were assigned to each other, and when they applied for a child, they received Jonas from the group of Newchildren born to the Birthmothers that year. As December approaches, Jonas eagerly awaits The Ceremony of Twelve, during which he will find out his Assignment–the job deemed most appropriate for him by the Council of Elders. During the nightly Telling of Feelings, he expresses his anticipation to his parents, and when, during one morning’s Sharing of Dreams, he mentions a mildly erotic dream about a female classmate, his parents inform him that he has experienced his first Stirring and will now begin taking the pills that all adults take to suppress their desires until they enter the House of the Old.  For Jonas, the world has always been this way.

At the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas receives an Assignment no one expected or anticipated he would receive, and he begins to learn the secrets and lies upon which his community is built. He is to be the Receiver of Memory, who holds the memories of pain and pleasure that are too disruptive for the rest of the community, and he begins intense training with The Giver, who will pass the memories on before he is released to Elsewhere.

When Jonas first enters the The Giver’s training room, he notices many things.

But the most conspicuous difference was the books. In his own dwelling, there were the necessary reference volumes that each household contained: a dictionary, and the thick community volume which contained descriptions of every office, factory, building, and committee. And the Book of Rules, of course.

The books in his own dwelling were the only books that Jonas had ever seen. He had never known that other books existed.

During his sessions with The Giver, Jonas learns about a lot of things and practices he never knew existed—color, animals, inclement weather, pain, war—and he experiences emotions he has never truly felt before. When he wonders why everyone can’t experience colors, The Giver explains

Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences….We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.

Troubled by the decisions his community has made and the fear they have of allowing citizens to make decisions for themselves, Jonas and The Giver face an important dilemma that could change their world forever. This amazing book is a meditation on the dangers of trying to create a perfect world.  In its unique way, it is a celebration of differences and a reminder that though our world sometimes brings us pain and difficulty, is also brings us joy and love and music and, most important, freedom.

The Giver has been challenged primarily because of its references to euthanasia and suicide and for being inappropriate for young readers, despite its designation as fiction for young readers. It is a difficult book that contains troubling scenes and disturbing practices. It is not going to be appropriate for all children or all age groups, and it is important for parents and teachers to examine the age and maturity level of the children they consider sharing this book with. But that goes for all books, and I don’t think age appropriateness is ever a reason to ban a book (not that I think there are any good reasons to do so), because it is such a subjective, variable concept that will be different for every child, every family, and every set of values.

The Giver presents an opportunity to have conversations about why and how the world is the way it is—and why and how it isn’t the way it isn’t—and it is a beautifully written, wonderfully crafted novel that I believe completely deserved the Newbery Medal it was awarded “for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.”

Click here to read an article that explains the controversy in greater depth.

And if you missed it, here are the banned books I’ve reviewed so far: The Perks of Being a Wallflower—And Tango Makes Three—Catch-22

And here are the ones from my banned books buddy, Devourer of Books: Kaffir Boy—The Grapes of Wrath—The Handmaid’s Tale