Looks at the ancestry of Lois Lowry's novel The Giver.

1. Sherri Bryan
San Jose State University
LIBR 268-10, Summer 2012

2.  Author: Lois Lowry
 Year Published: 1993
 Genre: Young Adult (YA) Dystopian Fiction
 Plot Synopsis: When Jonas receives his assignment of
Receiver of Memories at age 12, he begins to see
problems with his society, in which passion and choice
are nonexistent. Ultimately he takes significant risks to
help change the course of the future for both him and
for the members of the community.

3. Historical & Social Context:
 Ethnic cleansing in Bosnia in the early ‘90s
 Dr. Kevorkian’s euthanasia device and legal case in 1990
 In 1993, the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX
was raided; 87 people died in a mass suicide, all
followers of David Koresh, who had managed to gain
supreme control over the group

4. Brave New World 1984
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5.  Author: Aldous Huxley
 Year Published: 1932
 Genre: Adult Dystopian Fiction
 Plot Synopsis: In this 26th century society, people’s lives are
completely controlled by the government. Fetuses are
created in test tubes, children are brainwashed through
whispered messages in their sleep, humans are divided into
various castes, and a happiness drug is freely distributed to
everyone. Bernard, Helmholtz, and John are dissatisfied
with this life and must decide what price they are willing to
pay to change things.

6. Historical & Social Context:
 Beginning of a worldwide depression—stock market crashed
in 1929, and farmers are suffering from horrible droughts
 Technology is beginning to replace workers
 Henry Ford invented the factory assembly line in 1914 and can
now mass produce cars
 Advertising for goods is beginning to take off
 Victorian values are being rejected; youth are questioning
rigid attitudes about social class and sexuality
 Fad of sleep teaching is popular
 Scientists such as Pavlov are exploring concept of human
engineering

7.  Author: George Orwell
 Year Published: 1949
 Genre: Adult Dystopian Fiction
 Plot Synopsis: In the totalitarian superpower of
Oceania where telescreens are omnipresent (Big
Brother is watching!) Winston Smith begins to
question the government, a crime for which he is
ultimately tortured and “cured.”

8. Historical & Social Context:
 World War II has just ended
 Stalin is totalitarian leader of Soviet Union who
mercilessly kills his enemies
 Hitler has just been responsible for the deaths of 15
million individuals in the Holocaust
 Mao Tse-tung is fighting for communism in China
 Societal fear of communism and totalitarianism is
growing
 Dawn of nuclear age
 Most families do not yet have television in their homes

9.  Futuristic setting that is sterile and controlled
 Lack of privacy and freedom for individuals in community
 Government uses tools to control the population (e.g.,
drugs/pills in BNW and Giver)
 People in community are divided into castes or social class
systems, sometimes by profession
 Free will and individuality are given up in exchange for complete
social stability
 Main character (protagonist) desires freedom and wants to rebel
 Main character exists to save the community

10. While it is clear that The Giver shares some key
features with the classic adult dystopias 1984 and Brave
New World, there are also several key differences among
the novels. The young adult protagonist in Lowry’s novel
clearly distinguishes it from these earlier works written
for adults. In order to get a truer sense of The Giver’s
ancestry, let us also look at two dystopian works written
specifically for the young adult reader.

11. The White Mountains The Dream Catcher
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12.  Author: John Christopher (real name: Sam Youd)
 Year Published: 1967
 Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
 Plot Synopsis: An invasion by aliens (Tripods) has
drastically reduced the human population. Upon
reaching adolescence, humans are fitted with metal
skullcaps that control their brains and make them
docile. Three 13 year old boys (Will and Henry Parker
and Jean Paul) flee to the White Mountains to try to
escape capping and join a group of rebel humans there
who are also seeking personal freedom.

13. Historical & Social Context:
 Vietnam War is ongoing
 Race riots are breaking out in a number of U.S. cities
 Focus on space exploration and race to the moon
 Color TVs becoming popular
 Star Trek episodes began in 1966; explore sci fi concepts
 First heart transplant and first ATM
 Rise of birth control pill

14.  Author: Monica Hughes
 Year Published: 1986
 Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
 Plot Synopsis: In the 22nd century, following an “Age of
Confusion” brought on by the end of oil, communities
called Arks, each with distinct civilizations and
missions, have been created. Fourteen year old Ruth, a
misfit, along with some companions, sets out on a
difficult journey to the world beyond the Ark.

15. Historical & Social Context:
 Space shuttle Challenger explodes
 Halley’s Comet reaches the closest point to the earth’s
sun
 Chernobyl nuclear disaster
 Human genome project is launched
 Internet Mail Access Protocol defined, opening the way
for email
 Mad cow disease identified in UK
 Supreme court reaffirms abortion rights

16.  Stories set in a rigorously planned society
 Society has charismatic leader(s) or mastermind(s)
 Society has hierarchical social structure in which everyone
has his place
 Society uses tools to control populace (skullcaps in White
Mountains, pills in The Giver, technology in all 3 books)
 Society prizes collective well-being over fate of individual
 Society lacks a connection to the natural world
 Individuals have no control over reproductive freedom
 Most members of society unquestioningly accept the status
quo

17.  Young adults in society are assigned or chosen for a
function in the adult world
 Young adult (YA) protagonist becomes central character in
dystopian society
 YA protagonist questions society and ultimately rebels
against it
 YA protagonist sets out on a difficult physical journey to
escape or change society
 YA protagonist faces typical adolescent emotions and
experiences (sexual feelings, shame/embarrassment,
confusion, etc.)
 YA protagonist pays a price for the well being of whole
community

18. We can see that The Giver shares numerous story elements
with these two YA ancestors. Many of these similarities can be
traced back to 1984 and Brave New World as well. Despite these
many connections, however, Lowry’s novel still feels distinctly
different. It feels like the beginning of something new. The Giver
doesn’t feel like science fiction, as all the rest of these ancestors so
clearly do. It feels real and almost entirely possible. There are no
aliens or tripod monsters here. In addition, with The Giver we are
not aware of any cataclysmic event, manmade or otherwise, that
has occurred. It doesn’t feel apocalyptic. There hasn’t been a big
war that we know of and the world hasn’t run out of oil. Perhaps
this contributes to the more realistic feel of the story. Finally, The
Giver is far less dark in many ways then these ancestors. The reader
can choose an optimistic ending here, and adolescent readers can
walk away feeling there is some hope that they indeed have the
power to change the course of history.

19. In tracing the The Giver’s ancestry, and in looking
at historical contexts in particular, it becomes clear that
no matter the generation, we as humans always seem to
have plenty to fear. Technology always feels scary, and
always seem to be advancing too rapidly. There is never a
shortage of corrupt, power-hungry politicians. World
peace has yet to be a reality. And tragedies happen. Our
anxieties about the present and where it may be taking
us are ideal fodder for the world of dystopian fiction. As
we know, the genre is exploding, and young adults are
hungry for more.

20. Cart, M. (2010). Carte Blanche: Dateline Darkness. Booklist, 106(18), 34.
Grossman, L. (2012). Love Among the Ruins. Time, 179(10), 100-102.
Hintz, C. (2002). Monica Hughes, Lois Lowry, and young adult dystopias.
The Lion and the Unicorn, 26(2), 254-264.
"Historical Context: Brave New World." EXPLORING Novels. Detroit:
Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
"Historical Context: The Giver." Novels for Students. Detroit: Gale, 1998.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
Lowry, L. (1993). The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

21. Pfeiffer, J. R. (2002). "John Christopher." British Fantasy and Science-
Fiction Writers, 1918-1960. Ed. Darren Harris-Fain. Detroit: Gale Group.
Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 255. Literature Resource Center.
Web. 6 Aug. 2012.
Phelan, C. (April 1, 1987). "Review of The Dream Catcher." Booklist 83(15),
1206. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Deborah J. Morad and
Michelle Lee. Vol. 60. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Literature Resource
Center. Web. 7 Aug. 2012.
Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).Brave New World Summary.
Retrieved August 6, 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/brave-new-
world/summary.html
Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).1984 Summary. Retrieved
August 6, 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/1984/summary.html