The Giver Essay

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a science fiction novel about a boy named Jonas who discovers the flaws of his community. He becomes a receiver of memory and with the help of his memories and emotions he finds that his community isn't so great after all and decides to leave. Jonas’s community is very flawed and a failed utopia.

One reason the community is a dystopia is the way they repress their citizens' emotions. The text states, “It was the way the society was structured, the way things had always been. It was efficient and it worked. Feelings were controlled; they were taken care of, with precise, measured doses of medication.” (Lowry) This quote shows that the society in the community was designed to control and suppress the feelings of its members. The use of medications is evidence of this repression. It also shows that the community is flawed and a dystopian society. The regulation of the citizens' thoughts and feelings show that the community is a failed utopia.

A quote that supports this is, “Like the Matching Of Spouses and the Naming and Placement Of New children, the assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee Of Elders.” (Lowry) This passage clearly shows that the members of the community have no control over their own lives. They cannot choose their significant others or what job they want to pursue. The quote also demonstrates the fact that the community is very flawed and displays characteristics of a failed dystopian society because of the lack of independence each citizen has and the inability to choose the path they want to take in their own