1. Welcome to the world of
Utopia & Dystopia

2. DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD?
What things make a perfect world for you?
Will your changes work for everyone?
What happens if something doesn’t work for everyone, only most people?

3. Related Ideas - Religion
Utopia Concepts
A beautiful, perfect society with a general pacifistic attitude = no violence
Poverty and misery are removed
Very few laws are necessary
Money is not necessary
People do only work that they enjoy and which benefits the common good
Related Ideas - Religion
The Judeo-Christian concept of the Garden of Eden and Heaven
The Buddhist concept of Nirvana

4. Dystopia Concepts The antonym of utopia
An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives (a worst-case scenario for society)
Totalitarian dictatorship - nearly every aspect of public and private behavior is regulated by the state
Glorification and justification of violence
Technology replaces humanity
Negative social trends are taken to nightmarish extremes

5. Dystopian Story Characteristics
Fictional and futuristic
Dystopias serve as warnings to present day man
Commentary on our own current society
Utopian and dystopian societies are often present in science fiction
A utopia refers to a perfect society that does not exist or can never exist
A poor standard of living among the lower and middle classes
Set in the future but resembles contemporary society
A protagonist that questions society

6. Dystopian societies

7. By Lois Lowry

8. Lois Lowry
(1937-Present)
Born March 20, 1937 in Hawaii to Robert and Katharine Hammersberg
Her father was an Army dentist and the family lived all over the world
Has addressed a number of topics in her literature including adoption, mental illness, cancer, the Holocaust, and futuristic societies
Two-time winner of the Newberry Medal
(The Giver & Number the Stars)
1977
1981
1989
1996

9. The Giver series
The Giver is part of a quartet featuring the lives of the characters through time
1993
2000
2004
2012

10. Making Utopia
In the Utopian society Lowry has created, the community decided to eliminate pain from their lives, so they gave up memories of individuals and the group. This allowed them to forget all the pain suffered in history. It also prevented people from wanting to do things that could cause conflict or pain. Finally, this decision eliminated any nostalgia for things given up in order to live in total peace and harmony.

11. Seems like Utopia The society seems perfect--
All have a job for which they are especially suited
The elderly and newest members are lovingly cared for
There is much laughter and joy

12. Imagine a World Void of Color and Emotion
No music
No change of season, traditional holidays, or birthdays
No expression of real emotion
No memories or history of the past, either positive or negative
No colors – everything is black, white, or gray

13. The Characters Jonas Jonas’s Dad Jonas’s Mom Lily Gabriel
Because of nurturing qualities, he works with newchildren
Jonas’s Mom
Work at Justice Dept., deals with rule breakers & punishments
Lily
Younger sister of Jonas, talkative and simple
Jonas
Main character. Thoughtful and kind, brave and intelligent. He realizes there is more to life than what he has been told growing up, and wants things to change.
Gabriel
A newchild that Jonas’s dad brings home, he has light eyes like Jonas

14. The Characters Asher Fiona Rosemary Giver Other characters of note:
Best friend of Jonas. Not the brightest, but good-hearted
Fiona
Friend of Jonas.
Gentle and caring, especially with the old
Rosemary
The last person selected to be sent to Receiver training
Giver
An old, wise man -- current Receiver, appears older than actual age due to strain of the job. He is also cynical and frustrated because he knows what was given up to achieve current society.
Other characters of note:
Chief Elder
Larissa

15. The Giver -- Plot Overview
Science fiction story about a 12-year-old boy who must choose between a world of sameness or one filled with the intense joys and pains of life.
Jonas lives in a "perfect" world, devoid of strife or conflict.
When Jonas begins training for his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory, he meets his teacher, a man called The Giver.

16. Themes
The Importance of Memory --
Memory is essential, so The Committee of Elders designates a Receiver to remember history for the community.
The Relationship Between Pain and Pleasure --
There can be no pleasure without pain and no pain without pleasure
Choices --
How can we make good choices if we can’t remember and learn from the past? What is life without choice?
Language & Communication --
Precision of Language is a big deal in the novel, but without feeling to go with it, many words have lost meaning (love)
Tradition & Custom –
Customs and traditions work with rules to control people and often are used to disguise reality (chanting/death)

17. Dystopia in the making What if… No one had to go to school?
You could have an iPod in your brain?
Your computer could read your thoughts?
No one had to pay taxes?
Everyone had plastic surgery?
Babies were scientifically created?

18. Essential Questions What are the characteristics of a community?
How do members of the community affect one another?
Is belonging to a community a good thing?
Should the government restrict personal freedoms for the good of the community?