“The Giver” by Lois Lowry, is a really odd novel, it is clear yet confusing. This book is written in 3rd person. In the first two chapters we are introduced to Jonas (in this case the protagonist), an eleven-year-old boy living in a highly controlled society, that prioritizes sameness and conformity. As Jonas is preparing for the Ceremony of Twelve, where he will receive his life assignment, he reflects on the emotions of fear and uncertainty that spread through his community. The world around him is empty of color and genuine emotion, leading to sense of emptiness.
“It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he felt when he was afraid of the gabble of the baby’s cry.” (p.1)
This quote highlights Jonas’s internal struggles and hints the deeper complexities of his society. It sets the tone for his journey, making his awareness of the fear that underlines the community’s front of perfection, and hints of his eventual quest for truth.