A Character-Drien Dystopia--The Giver
A Character-Driven Dystopia
Lois Lowry's story, The Giver, is the typical look of a future utopian society that hides secrets from people that would display its imperfections to the people. Lowry's story, however, evokes emotions that these other stories seem to miss. She is able to give us a character-driven story, while providing a commentary of modern society that is elemental in utopian/dystopian stories.
Jonas and the Giver are the only characters that change in the story. When Jonas begins his change, we empathize with him greatly because we see emotions for the first time in the book that have any substance. The novel opens with Jonas trying to figure out what emotion he is feeling as the day of the ceremonies approach. Upon deciding on apprehensive, he goes home and his family shares emotions they had over the day in the daily sharing of feelings. During this, the reader feels nothing. This is because Lowry created a somber, dreary mood as though the people are just androids going through another day; she maintains this mood for over half the book. Finally, we see Jonas receive real emotion from the Giver, and our feelings toward him change. In these small scenes where the Giver transfers him memories to Jonas, the mood of the story changes. Lowry begins to add things into the story to draw us in. We see color for the first time in the novel. We see real laughter and tears. Now, when Jonas feels frightened, we know he is truly frightened. When he feels love, we know what it is. This feeling of empathy is increased greatly when he sees the recording on his father releasing Gabriel.
Lowry's utopian setting draws us into the emotional climax when Gabriel is released. At first the community seems so simple. All the complexities that plague our lives is expunged. The community's climate is controlled, people wear the same clothes, evenings are filled with the same routines, professions are chosen for the people. Then,...
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