| Study
and Discussion Questions: Lois Lowry Books The
Giver "In
Jonas's community, every person and his or her experience are precisely the same.
. . . What advantages might sameness yield for contemporary communities?"1
How and why does our society use sameness? What does diversity do for a
community? What do you have to believe to be able to tolerate diversity? "Underneath
the placid calm of Jonas's society lies a very orderly and inexorable system of
euthanasia, practiced on the very young who do not conform, the elderly, and those
whose errors threaten the stability of the community."1 What do
you think is the novel's attitude to the practice? What are the underlying assumptions
that allow for such a system? What has to be true for a person or a society to
accept such a concept? Why are we extremely uncomfortable with this concept for
humans but not so uncomfortable when applying it to animals? The
relationship between Jonas and The Giver changes Jonas. How? Does the author lead
up to this change believably? What does this change suggest about the nature of
love? How do you interpret the unfortunate end of the previous Receiver?
The novel's ending can be interpreted in different ways. (The author offers two
interpretations in the interview included at the end of the novel.) How do you
interpret the ending? Is it a happy ending? Support your interpretation with references
to the text. "There
are groups in the United States today that actively seek to maintain an identity
outside the mainstream culture: the Amish," the FLDS, Hasidic Jews, and some
Seventh-day Adventists. "What benefits do these groups expect from defining
themselves as "other"? What are the disadvantages? How does the mainstream
culture put pressure on such groups?"1 Members
of Jonas's community say they are stressing precise language. However, some of
their words actually cloud meaning. "What is the danger of such misleading
language?"1 Jonas's
community uses euphemism to avoid talking directly about "the reality of
'The Release'. How does our own society use euphemism to distance us from such
realities as aging and death, bodily functions, and political activities? [Think
of some examples.] What are the benefits and disadvantages of such uses of language?"1
Gathering
Blue Questions
#3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10 at the end of the book.2 Messenger The
forest serves as a powerful symbol in this novel. What does it symbolize, and
how does this symbolism function in the novel? Explore
the connections between The Giver and Gathering Blue. How does Messenger
finish the unfinished business of each of these previous books? How are the loose
ends tied up? What
role does Jonas serve in Messenger? What in his previous life has prepared
him for this role? Do you think he does a good job? Why/why not? Matty
features as the scruffy little urchin Matt in Gathering Blue. Now he's
a major character. What is his role in Messenger? How does he perform this
role? How do you feel about the outcome? Why? Think
about connections between the society in Messenger and our society. What
are the similarities? Differences? What
can Messenger teach us about how we ought to live our lives? What are the
lessons of the novel? If
you were the author, what unfinished business in Messenger would you finish
up in a sequel? How? - What
is Kira's role in this novel? How does her role in this novel compare to her role
in Gathering Blue? How has what happened to her in Gathering Blue
prepared her for the role she has in this novel? Note similarities between her
role in Gathering Blue and her role in Messenger.
Works
Cited: 1. Schmidt,
Gary D. "Questions for Discussion." The Giver, by Lois Lowry.
Readers Circle ed. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, an imprint of Random.1993. 2.
Scales, Pat. "Questions for Discussion." Gathering Blue, by Lois
Lowry. Readers Circle ed. New York: Delacorte, an imprint of Random. 2000. |