The Giver: Background

Genre

The Giver is a young adult dystopian science fiction novel, which can also be classified as children’s literature. Lowry first presents readers a picture of a utopian society that seems to have no pressing issues or concerns, such as hunger, war, inequality. Soon, the readers realize that the society depicted in the novel is not as perfect as it appears to be. In particular, the residents of the community have no individuality; they act according to the rules that have been laid for them, thereby suppressing all desires, emotions, and needs. It thus becomes apparent that this is more of a dystopian than a utopian world. Like 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, this novel also suggests that seemingly perfect societies often have flaws that prevent individuals from leading meaningful, happy lives.

Historical and Philosophical Background

The Giver mirrors the times in which it was written. In the 1990s, ideas of individuality, freedom, and family were widely debated and redefined in the US. The theme of “sameness” that runs through the novel is a critical comment on the importance Americans had bestowed upon individuality and individual choice at the time.

The novel introduces the reader to a society that believes in constant surveillance and observation. Before this novel was published, French philosopher Michel Foucault had popularized and discussed these issues in his book Discipline and Punish. In his work, Foucault explores how disciplining and punishing measures work in prisons and communities at large. To explore these ideas, Foucault deploys Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon model: prisons designed to house a strategically located tower, which enabled guards to monitor prisoners round the clock. Since there was no way of knowing if the tower was occupied by guards, prisoners were always well-behaved. The idea is that the prisoners, believing they are under constant surveillance, will eventually condition themselves to behave according to prison standards. Similarly, Jonas and the other residents are never sure if they are being watched; therefore, they must always behave well.