**spoiler warning--I figure most people have read this book, but if you haven't and don't want to know the ending, you probably shouldn't read this post**
The Giver is a dystopian children's novel about a boy named Jonas. In his society, there are no emotions, good or bad, and it is set far in the future. Everyone is pretty much the same and everything is controlled. There is no color, no snow, no hills, no hot or cold. There is one person in the society who holds all the memories of these kinds of things and he is called the Receiver. Jonas is called to be the new receiver and is slowly given memories from the old receiver, who he calls the giver. They come up with a plan to change their society so one person wouldn't have to hold all the pain and memories for everyone else. Jonas escapes the society to give the people a chance to experience the memories for themselves. The story ends super ambiguously with Jonas weak and cold and climbing a big mountain searching for another civilization.
When I finished the book I was mad at how unclear the ending was. What happened to Jonas? Did he find people? Did their plan work? Or did he die there on the mountain? He was freezing, starving, and in the middle of nowhere. I'm inclined to believe that Jonas died up there, still believing that he was close to a new life.
What do you think the ending meant?
4 out of 5 stars
I think there may actually be a sequel... I haven't read it, and I also just barely read The Giver about a year ago for the first time. I thought it was really good and wondered whether Jonas had died or not. I liked how ambiguous the ending was, since it leaves things open-ended and forces you to think a little more about the entire plot as you think more about Jonas's fate. Then again, I really like dystopian novels and don't mind an ending that asks more questions than it answers (I loved Lost while it was on for this reason).
ReplyDeleteI like dystopian novels too but I get really frustrated when I can't figure out what exactly the ending means. I shouldn't complain because I definitely enjoy picking the endings apart and discussing them with people and considering multiple scenarios. I just get too emotionally invested in characters and I like to know that they're gonna be ok after the story is over. I loved Lost but again the ending irritated me. So did they all die in the plane crash or what??
DeleteThere are actually 4 books in the series, the 4th one just came out recently. The next book, Gathering Blue, doesn't pick up the story with Jonas. Instead, it looks at another community and how it dealt with the issues of society. There is a mention at the end of Gathering Blue that lead me to believe that Jonas lived. :) I haven't read the other two, but they are on my to-read list!
ReplyDelete