Scott Westerfeld answers this question by relating a young adults life to that of a dystopian community. He primarily focuses on school and how we are subject to dress codes, have limited freedom of speech rights, are constantly under surveillance, and rise and sit when we hear a bell. He says that because we are constantly being controlled, books about the government breaking down or being attacked continue to be popular now more than ever.

I personally agree with his opinion. Some of my favorite books and movies deal with the government being taken over by kids or young adults fighting for their freedom against those in power. It is true when he says that we are constantly being controlled and told what to do or how to act. I feel that because of this, our creativity is often times impaired and we lack the ability to think outside the box. In fact, some people become so used to this pattern that when change comes along they do not welcome it.

Westerfeld’s commentary can definitely be related to The Giver. In The Giver, everyone in the community is under control and told to think in one way only. Similarly, students in the real world and in school are frequently treated the same way. Students no longer seem to be taught how to think critically because teachers in grades k-12 focus more facts and what will be on the next exam. There are so many underground movements that we don’t know about but should be more aware about. Students are constantly being tracked and watched in the real world, which relates to the way children are watched and tracked in The Giver as well. I think the scariest part about books on dystopian communities is how much they relate to the real world.