The Giver By: Lois Lowry

Thematic Study In this extension exercise students will explore and discuss various themes from The Giver. Students will complete this exercise by writing a personal narrative titled “My Perfect Society.”

Theme #1: Family The families in The Giver are considered “perfect” family units. They consist of a mother, father, son, and daughter. What does your family look like?

Theme #2: Diversity The community in The Giver is not a diverse community. The community strives for “sameness.” Competition is eliminated and everything down to climate is controlled. Do we live in a diverse community? If so, what types of things make our community diverse?

Theme #3: Survival of the Fittest The community in The Giver “released” those who didn’t conform to the ideals of the community. The young, the old, or those who make mistakes and risk the stability of the community are all in danger of being released. What are the dangers of living in this type of community?

Theme #4: Emotions/Feelings The structure of the families in The Giver appear to be based on living by the rules. The characters rarely show emotions or feelings like love. Is this something lost with the memories? How would you feel having to live in this type of community?

My Perfect Society Write a three paragraph essay telling me what it would be like to live in your perfect society. Essay must be respectful to all people mentioned in it and must be appropriate to be shared with the class.

Acknowledgements All pictures taken from Google Images.