The Giver has been my longtime favorite book. I remember having a long discussion about it in Philo 10.That time when we were also reading chapters from Plato’s book, The Republic, I realized that Lowry’s constructed pseudo-Utopian world and the philosophy presented in The Giver were drawn from Plato’s The Republic. Needless to say, many philosophers consider all philosophy as ‘mere’ footnote to Plato’s. I used to like The Giver because of its rich imagery, especially that of Jonas hearing music when he left the village. I liked it because it presented Utopia not as a solution, contrary to Aldous Huxley’s The Brave New World. I liked it because it inspired me to create art works fueled by the struggles of man. But now I appreciate that book for the simple reason that it is a book about sacrifice. The Giver knew that an anesthetized world is hell and he was wise enough to take Jonas out of that. That is deeply moving for me.
~Swotter
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