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editThe Giver is a part of Dystopian literature that has left many readers questioning the classification of Lowry's novel[1]. Some readers have felt that The Giver should be listed under "Young Adult Fiction" due to its graphic content detailing euthanasia, mental health and death[2]. While the reception of The Giver has received critical acclaim and has accepted its share of accolades, it has remained a challenged novel by several schools for many generations. Controversies surround the novel's dark themes and topics of violence for young audiences to read has not been well received by parents and educators which has resulted in the novel being banned from academic environments[3]. One of the first moments of The Giver being challenged occurred in 1995 when parents became concerned over the nature of the novel as a whole. Some parents felt that the content in this book was not appropriate for children to absorb at such a young age.
In an interview with Lois Lowry, she states she is unsure as to why the novel has been continuously challenged amongst its readers. Lowry expresses that, "When most parents read a passage from The Giver, they take it out of context. Most adults who are upset by the dark nature of the novel have refrained from reading the text or have never read it at all" [4]. Lowry has discovered that most adults who decide to read the novel dismiss their previous impressions. She describes how parents feel that they have a responsibility in protecting their children from explicit content which results in not reading Lowry's work. However, regarding the idea of sensitive topics, Lowry feels that there is no subject "off limits" to discuss in literature.[5][6]"
Edited Original Text: While Lowry has expressed her own thoughts, other reviewers have commented that the story lacks originality and is not likely to stand up to the sort of probing literary criticism used in "serious" circles, while others argue that books appealing to a young-adult audience are critical for building a developing reader's appetite for reading.[7] Karen Ray, writing in The New York Times, detects "occasional logical lapses", but adds that the book "is sure to keep older children reading".[8] Young adult fiction author Debra Doyle was more critical, stating that "Personal taste aside, The Giver fails the [science fiction] Plausibility Test," and that "Things are the way they are [in the novel] because The Author is Making A Point; things work out the way they do because The Author's Point Requires It."[9] (Revisions of original text)
In a 2013 study conducted by professors Johnson, Haynes, and Nastasis from Wright State University, they received mixed reactions based on students' reactions about The Giver. Johnson, Haynes, and Nastasis found that, although the majority of students said either they did not understand the novel or did not like the novel, there were students who were able to connect with Jonas and to empathize with him[10] (Revisions of original text)
References:
edit- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVW629AWARg[11] (Interview with Lowry) (24:00)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlz2p776JnE[12] (Interview with Lowry)
- https://bannedbooks.library.cmu.edu/lois-lowry-the-giver/#:~:text=Lowry%20includes%20mentions%20of%20sex,the%20book%20was%20temporarily%20banned (Banned book)
- https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1113&context=articulate
- https://www.ila.org/content/documents/2000banned.pdf
- ^ Roozeboom, Alison Nicole (2017). "Lois Lowry's The Giver and Political Consciousness in Youth". Articulate. 16: 9 – via Denison University.
- ^ Reece, Arabella (September 11, 2019). "Lois Lowry, "The Giver"". The Banned Books Project: 1 – via Carnegie Mellon University.
- ^ Doyle, Robert P. (2001). 1999-2000 Books Challenged or Banned. United States of America: American Booksellers Association/The Center for the Book of the Library of Congress. p. 5.
- ^ Lois Lowry | Full Q&A at The Oxford Union, retrieved 2022-04-20
- ^ Meet the Author: Lois Lowry, retrieved 2022-04-06
- ^ Lois Lowry | Full Q&A at The Oxford Union, retrieved 2022-04-06
- ^ Franklin, Marie C. (February 23, 1997). "CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: Debate continues over merit of young-adult fare". The Boston Globe: G1.
- ^ Ray, Karen (October 31, 1993). "Children's Books". The New York Times.
- ^ Doyle, Debra. "Doyle's YA sf rant". Sff.net. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ^ Johnson, Angie Beumer; Haynes, Laurel; Nastasi, Jessie (2013). "Probing Text Complexity: Reflectings on Reading The Giver as Pre-teens, Teens, and Adults". The ALAN Review. 40 (2). ISSN 1547-741X.
- ^ Lois Lowry | Full Q&A at The Oxford Union, retrieved 2022-03-04
- ^ Meet the Author: Lois Lowry, retrieved 2022-03-04